Jewel of the Eastern Desert
by NovemberDoll
Summary: The Northern King has lost his keep. Betrayed and poised to be dead, he is salvaged by the sheltering arms of the mystical Kingdom of the East. Who would have known they were only returning the favor? It turns out he had unknowingly saved their fabled djinniya princess from the guillotine. And their fates will be entangled, deeper than they would have ever imagined. (AU)
1. Chapter 1: The Djinni's Daughter

_**A/N**_ : Just to let you guys know this is AU, and you will be dealing with a djinn Kaoru here. So for anyone who does not like the idea, _"whatever floats your boat." :)_

Djinn- supernatural creatures made of smokeless fire

Malik- king

Amir – Prince

Ameera – Princess

* * *

 _ **Introduction: The Djinni's Daughter**_

* * *

 _-The Eastern Palace, Circa 1001-_

She was made of smokeless fire, the woman lying underneath him. Evasive, sultry, and every movement she made, spellbinding.

The King of the East knew he could never capture her completely. She was mischievous in all accounts, never wanting to be bound, fearing commitment as she fears iron and steel chains. He could not blame her, she had been held by numerous greedy hands, and it was only because of her wiles she was able to escape each and every one.

He dipped down to have another taste of her sweet lips.

"Will you miss me when I am gone?" she asked, the light in her blue eyes teasing.

"Of course," he did not lie. It was only a week since he met her when she was seeking refuge in his city. When he saw her for the first time, a flame of lust burst inside him he never thought he had. And it had been six years since his wife passed away. So he thought, why contain it?

And so he feasted, and she complied. He would have married her, and yes, he could say he loved her, but she did not want to be bound. She told him she was many centuries older than him, and she had reached her time. It was then that he realized what she truly was: a djinni.

She gently ran her fingers across his jawline. "I have to admit, my dear King" she started, "I have been watching you for a long time, protecting you from misfortune, yearning for you from afar. When you married the town healer I had to leave, for I thought I would not be able to contain my jealousy." The Malik crushed her body in a tight embrace. She had loved him all the while? No wonder the city was immensely prosperous under his reign. They had been under the protection of a powerful djinn.

"You should have come to me," he whispered, showering kisses on her beautiful face.

"And be bound to you, and watch you grow ugly and corrupt with greed?" she teased, smirking.

"All men have a heart susceptible to greed, but not all give into it." He answered.

"What is done is done..." she leaned over and rubbed her cheek sultrily against his. "Surely, you don't have a desire you want me to fulfill?"

The king laid his head on her generous chest. "What I wish for, you will not be able to fulfill."

The woman laughed deeply. "I am the Queen of the Marid, the last of my clan. We hold the most power above all djinn. What is your wish, Malik?" she challenged, and he brought his gaze to hers. She truly was a being of pride. And that was one of her weaknesses.

"Stay by my side, be my queen," he stated, and the djinni's eyes dimmed. Unfortunately, she could not wish for immortality, let alone hers. He knew the fiber of her existence was almost frayed, and he would lose her, even before he could capture her. And he ached.

"My King..," she wrapped her arms around him. "I wish I could stay. I really wish I could." she was crying, and he knew her sentiments were genuine.

"Then leave me a legacy, something to remind me of you in my last days..." He dipped down and caught her lips in a heated kiss, and their lust escalated up again, and his heart sped. They would be making love yet again, and he would savor in each moment, for he did not know when would be the last.

* * *

It had been nine months since she left, and every day he would stare at the sparkling ocean of Sha'ra, his thoughts to a memory of a certain woman that enslaved his heart. "Father," the small voice of little Aoshi, his heir, jolted him from his musings. "The guards, they found something by the cliff."

With quick strides, he scooped the little child into his arms and rushed to the anomaly, the material of his cloak flapping in the winds of the high elevation. When he reached the cliff, he had to hand his son to one of the guards for safety. There was a pack of black dogs encircling a wicker basket, and the basket itself was moving. When he approached, the dogs dispersed, and he opened the protective covering.

"A child," he exclaimed. She was wrapped in the finest material of silk, spun with threads of gold, and she woke from a long slumber.

The child opened her eyes. It was blue, as blue as his djinni's eyes.

He read the parchment carefully folded into the cushion, and when he was done, he spun around to his audience. "My daughter," he announced, tucking the paper into his sleeve for safekeeping. Aoshi wriggled out of the guard's hold, rushing to the babe's side. He carefully reached out to touch her hand. "Does she have a name?" the young boy asked.

The king knelt down to pick her up, he cast his glance to his wide-eyed heir. "Aoshi, meet your sister, Kaoru," and he turned to the soldiers, " Everyone, behold, the Ameera of the East."


	2. Chapter 2: The First Meeting

_**A/N:**_ El Qasr- a walled port city, the Capital of the East

Mistral – A strong, cold northwestern wind

All your reviews, follows/alerts are very much appreciated. Thanks for your kindness :)

* * *

 _ **The First Meeting: Coincidence**_

* * *

 _**-Somewhere in the Northern Mountains-_

 _-Circa 1021, twenty years later-**_

The tattered banners said everything about her execution ground: poverty-stricken, desolate, forgotten. She stared pensively at the barren, rocky soil over the wooden stage she was chained to: it is where her dismembered head will soon be rolling on, and she wondered in morbid fascination, how far of a roll it will be. Far enough to reach home?

She chuckled. _Wishful thinking._

"What are you laughing at, missy?!" the old man said from beside her, his breath still reeking of spoiled ale, the only choice as peasants can afford. "We'll see who'll be laughing later when the blade slices through your pretty neck." His eyes then cast to the large wooden frame in the middle of the platform, lingering specifically on the blood-encrusted blade at the peak. "I heard they haven't cleaned it for years. All the rust makes it blunt-" he turned to her and grinned in an attempt to intimidate her. What it only did was reveal his rotting yellow teeth.

The girl only pondered. A sad sight indeed, if the blade would not cut through, and her head would be left hanging by a flap of skin. But she would rather die here than be discovered by her captors, and be sent back to that hellhole.

"Why are you here?" she asked the man as if she were just shooting the breeze, passing time. The man was slightly taken aback by her lack of grief, but he sobered down. They would soon be dead, anyway. Might as well. "I stole from someone." He said, "the chieftain's son. And you?"

The blue-eyed girl rearranged her knees. But it was hard to do so, especially if both hands were shackled with steel and iron chains to the platform. "I fell in front of someone's carriage."

The man leaned in closer, and she peered at him. Was he expecting something? She raised a brow in question.

"You fell in front of someone's carriage. And then what?" he prodded, rather impatiently. She only shrugged.

"I don't know, I must have delayed them or something."

The old man stared at her in disbelief. Ridiculous! Between the weight of their punishments, she would have deserved only ten lashings! More so, no lashings at all! The girl merely sighed at her fate and continued with her displaced musings. "Who knows, he might be someone important, and he was on his way to his lover." She turned to him. "They say when you're in love, you get impatient."

The old man couldn't believe his ears. How could the girl even jest at a time like this? The unforgiving slap of Mistral penetrated through their barely-clothed skin, and he looked upward. Snowflakes were starting to fall. It won't be long before the gentle shower would turn into a full-blown storm, but they wouldn't know. In a few hours from now, their headless bodies would be as cold as the Northern Wind itself.

He turned to her, but her gaze was elsewhere, past the towering poles that held the old Northern Insignia, past the white peaks of the mountain ranges that hid the forsaken execution town. "I miss home," she simply said. "I wish I could see them again, one last time."

She regretted her thoughts: of her father, and her dear Aoshi, of Misao and Kamatari, and she resisted the waver of her courage. A familiar sadness crept inside her, one of the many emotions she had masked since her abduction fifteen years ago. She wished she stayed in the palace that day. She wished she listened to her father's warnings.

But the beauty of the sand dunes enticed her, and the thrill of the hunt beckoned to her. She could not control her instincts, and so she stepped out of the walls, into steel and iron chains: her most potent weakness. Abducted at the mere age of ten years old, six years short from her formal acceptance to her real nature.

The executioner stepped on the platform and strode towards them. He picked his first choice: a middle-aged woman. The woman shrieked as the burly headsman dragged her resisting body on the floor, and two other men pulled on the chains, securing her thrashing arms and feet under the frame of the guillotine, positioning for the kill. The girl watched the whole scene unfold with detachment.

She spoke. "From where I come from, executions like these are reserved for the gravest of crimes." She glanced at the old man beside him, he was looking away, eyes desperately shut tight. Feminine screams filled the arid air.

The snow was falling heavily now.

The blue-eyed girl brought her gaze back to the wooden frame, and a loud thud bounced through the mountains. A head rolled off onto the now-white earth, the snow soaking the trail of blood that spilled from the motion.

"Does your king know about this?" She asked, only because she was curious, and maybe, because everything was starting to sink in.

"He is busy establishing his Kingdom. This is too small of a town to take notice of, and we are too insignificant to warrant his attention."

"What about his subordinates?" she pressed on, the footfalls of the headsman slowly approaching. The heavy snow had now just decided to argue with the wind, and their bones chilled as the snowstorm finally started. She felt a pull to her chains, and she looked up.

It was her turn.

"Missy," the old man closed his eyes, "I wouldn't know... else we both wouldn't have been here."

She felt herself being dragged through the splintering wood. _I do miss home_ , she thought as they anchored her chains to the frame, and positioned her head in the middle of the block. She scanned the audience watching the whole ordeal, which comprised of an army bearing the crest of the Northern Insignia, yet the color of the ribbon underneath was black.

A rebel faction, she surmised. Against the Northern Reign.

 _I wish I could go home,_

She thought of the safety of the walls of her city, and the giant blue flames on the watchtowers on each corner. Her emotions were running rampant, and by that alone, she was so sure that the flames were starting to flicker. She wondered if her father saw. She fretted if Aoshi was worried.

"Heave!" the soldier yelled, and the executioner started to unbind the rope holding the blade.

What would the people think? When the flames suddenly died when her life is cut off, it would make the city vulnerable. Would they be sad? Would they start to fear again?

 _I want to go home..._

She noticed a tear streak down her cheek. She had thought she was numbed by now, but apparently not.

"Three..." the countdown began, and she did not even notice the raging storm around her. She thought of the torture she went through, and the long ordeal of her escape.

 _Please, take me home..._

"Two..."

She hung her head in resignation, the gravity of what was happening finally sinking in. This time, there was no means of escape. This really was happening. All that she's been through, only to end up here?

 _Father..._

 _Aoshi, Misao..._

"One!"

 _Someone, please... save me._

She closed her eyes as the sound of metal sliced through the air. She waited for the impact, the final blow that would end it all.

But it did not come.

The girl opened her eyes, and before her rolled the head of the executioner, down to the white slush, and an immense silence impregnated the execution ground. She lifted her sights to the figure standing before her, an armor-clad warrior with fiery red hair.

A war cry reverberated through the silence, and chaos broke throughout the stillness. The thundering hoofs of stallions rumbled on the earth, the crisp sound of metal and men, clashing against each other, the opposing forces falling back at the sudden attack. The new banners carried the real northern insignia- a dragon and a red ribbon wreathed underneath, and she realized she was in the middle of a raid, and the figure's armor before her held the royal crest with six stars underneath.

The Northern King.

Her blue eyes were mesmerized. He looked like freshly-spilled blood in the white tundra, like a fire in the blinding snowstorm. He raised his sword and struck at her chains, the first blow obliterating the spell that bound her to the northern territory, the second strike shattering the iron and steel. A great weight was suddenly lifted from her, and she was free, completely free.

She slumped on the ground but her eyes never left him. His armor only revealed his hair and the color of his eyes, a deep violet shifting into gold. She burned it into her memory. All that has happened, she burned into her memory. He spun around, back against her, and with large strides he broke into a run, hoisting himself to the waiting stallion and he pulled at its reins.

The horse reared, and without looking back the warrior-king rode off into the chaos, his sword brandished, melting into the clashing armies.

Having been freed from the binding spell, the girl summoned what was left of her meager magic and sent out a distress signal to her home. She closed her eyes and visualized herself all the way to the East, to the walled city of El Qasr, the giant blue flames of the watchtowers on each corner of the wall, and she willed it to flicker into a bright purple.

She could see the soldiers on the border of her city step back in alarm, she could see Misao breaking off into a run. She saw her dear Aoshi meeting her halfway, and Misao crying, pointing to the flames.

With one last bout of magic, she showed them her execution ground, the exact location of where she was. When she was able to do so, she realized her magic was depleted, and she finally slumped unconscious on the wooden platform.

* * *

She didn't know how long she was unconscious, but when she woke up, she surmised it to be a long time. The raid had long ended, so did the snowstorm, and the spoils of war lay before her, cold and rigored. The Royal Army of the Northern King had left, and it was desolate again. Wolves were scavenging the area.

Everything else was still.

A movement caught the corner of her eye, and she snapped her gaze overhead. Figures cloaked and hooded in white, camouflaged by the tundra. Her heart raced. Could it be her captors? Did they find her? She lay deathly still, breathing as slow as possible. A whimper almost escaped her lips.

And then, one of the figures spoke.

"The Ameera!"

Her breath hitched, and everything else happened in a flash. She found herself in the warm embrace of her Aoshi, his tall frame squeezing her small form in desperation. "Kaoru," he whispered in between tears, rocking her back and forth, overwhelmed by what was happening. "My dear Kaoru," he held her, and she felt her lungs wrung out of breath, and from that point on, Kaoru allowed the steel mask she built to crumble, and finally, a steady flow of tears broke from her, and her hands clung to him. "Brother," she cried out, "brother I..." that was all she could manage, unable to describe all she had been through.

She buried her face deeper into his embrace and she cried like a little child.

Another warmth engulfed them, "Ameera, I can't believe... it really is you," Misao's familiar voice sobbed, and amidst the tears, Kaoru allowed herself to smile.

 _Home,_ she thought.

She was finally going home.


	3. Chapter 3: Rumors

_**A/N:**_ Sirrocco – a hot Mediterranean wind

Dervish- holy warrior

* * *

 _ **Rumors**_

* * *

 _-El Qasr, capital city of the Eastern Lands-_

"Have you heard?"

Was the hushed phrase that spread that afternoon like wildfire in the old tavern. Curiosities rose in anticipation, patrons clustering in small groups, leaning forward in a punitive attempt to contain the gossip.

"They found her."

"The Jewel?"

"Yes."

A great unrest settled, feverish whispers the evidence of their jubilation. Fully immersed they were that they failed to notice a group of newcomers pass by, all garbed in unassuming gray cloaks, faces concealed by the shadow of their hoods.

It was not a new sight, though, such clothing was frequent in the Desert city of El Qasr, capital of the East, and its seaport that served as major gateways had accommodated thousands of travelers, some to stay, some to pass by, and some, never to be seen again.

"The _Malik_ must be elated," the whispering resumed. "our _Amir_ has searched far and wide for the Jewel of the Eastern Desert, they say he braved through hell and back just to find her."

"Where did they find her?"

"In a human settlement in the North."

"Preposterous! How dare those lower beings lay a hand on our Ameera!"

From underneath its hood, one of the newcomers ground its teeth in restraint, fisting the material of its cloak.

"It's not worth it, Kaoru." the taller hooded figure whispered. "They are only concerned. Lay it to rest."

Her clenched fist relaxed. "Brother, I don't want to be the cause of a rift between us and the North."

When the third hooded figure approached and gave them a confirmatory nod, the two stood up and followed, away from the gossiping lot, into the long and winding hallways of the inn. The third figure then opened an old wooden door, and they proceeded inside the large room, with a fireplace and a bed by the window overlooking the vast blue ocean of Sha'ra.

A figure brushed past the others and headed straight to the open window.

"Finally!" she took off her cloak and hood, ebony locks spilling past her hips. She inhaled deeply and collected a grin. Bright blue eyes the very color of the ocean sought towards the taller one. "I thought I would die from a heat stroke back there."

The taller figure chuckled and he took off his hood, equally black hair ruffled from the agitation. He tried to smooth it with his hands but to no avail. "I apologize, my dear Kaoru, but you will have to adjust to the weather yet again. The Eastern Lands bring in _Sirrocco_ at this time of the year. It will be cooler in the later months... but not like the cold of _Mistral_ that you have gotten used to _._ "

The girl's blue eyes deepened in color, the mere mention of the Northern wind throwing her into an internal world of her own. The older brother gently laid a hand on the crown of her head, patting it gently, the gesture reminding him of a faraway time from before, when they were smaller, and no such responsibilities burdened their shoulders.

He hoped, in the deepest chambers of his heart, that she remembered it too.

"I can't believe I'm home," she said, her gaze cast outside the window, towards the ocean of Sha'ra, settling on a galleon that had just set sail. Seagulls were flocking around its flag. She ran her hands on the frame of the window, the feel of ancient wood and stone warming her very spirit. "Brother, I still feel as if this were a dream, and soon I'd wake up and find myself back in that hellhole."

She closed her eyes and her memories transported to a barren white Northern tundra, where snowstorms and the biting slap of Mistral had frequented, where the days were short and the nights were long. She remembered her bedchambers underground, the feel of the spell-imbued manacles that prevented her escape, burning through her skin.

And the torture. The sessions where they would supposedly 'increase her tolerance' to pain, the brutal magic and weapons training courses designed for her, of them giving her lethal doses of poison every day, until, even to her captor's astonishment, she gained complete immunity to whatever poison that was introduced to her.

She remembered the many nights alone, throwing up and in convulsions from fever, her body fighting the ill effects of the gallons of poison they shoved in her throat, her rubbing over broken bones underneath tattered skin, crying herself to sleep in her own pool of vomit and blood.

It was only because of her preternatural nature that kept her alive. And she dare not let them know.

What would have happened if they knew what she really was?

A warmth brought her back to the present, she did not notice the wet streak of tears trail down her cheek. Her brother had embraced her tightly in his arms. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Kaoru." He gently kissed her forehead. "If it offers you any comfort, we never stopped searching, all those years..." His eyes settled on one of the great stone towers at the corner of the walls of the city, the immense royal blue flames ablaze even under the desert heat.

"The flames of the watchtowers, as long as they burned,

so did our hope that you were alive, somewhere... and so we never stopped..."

"I know, Aoshi," she allowed her tears to fall. "I know. And now it's all over. Finally over." she breathed.

The third figure lifted her hood from her face, revealing another female with a tight braid on her head, her steeled eyes considerably softened with her own tears. "Misao," Kaoru held out a hand towards her.

"Your Highness," Misao complied and rushed towards the two, engulfing them in her own hug. "how I missed you," Misao clutched the hilt of her sword."Those lowlife Northerners, they will pay for what they did."

Kaoru shook her head. "Do not generalize, dervish. Not all Northerners have a heart of ice." Although it was true that her captors were merciless, it was those northern bandits that helped her escape, it was the peasants that took her in and tended to her when she lost consciousness by the stream, when she was blinded and mute by the heavy binding curse, and it was those group of rogue mages that helped her break free from the spell that bound her to her unidentified captors. It was only when the Northern King broke the chains with his magic-imbued sword that she was completely free from the curse, and she finally had the ability to send a message to her brother, the Amir of the East, that she was alive and needed retrieval.

When she was abducted, her captors were not aware that she was the _Ameera_ of the East.

They were not even aware that the Eastern Territory had an Ameera. Her presence was fiercely protected and hidden by the Kingdom and her people, referring her only as the "jewel" to throw off any idea of her existence.

The concept of the Princess of the Desert Kingdom of the East had stayed as a legend to the outside kingdoms only until she was abducted, fifteen years ago.

"Rest, my princess," Aoshi gently prodded, "for tomorrow we shall head back to the Palace and meet our father."

Kaoru nodded her head eagerly, and Aoshi and Misao lifted back their cloaks up and exited the room. Behind closed doors, Misao did not move further. "Amir, you did not tell her about the Malik's current condition."

Aoshi stood silent for a long time. "I can't... bear to see her cry anymore."

* * *

 _-The Northern Castle-_

The Northern King had just finished patrolling his borders when a vexing sound reached his ears. Unable to bear the infernal ruckus so late at night, his lavender eyes snapped towards the source: his retainer, Megumi.

"Speak." He demanded as he continued to walk, the sound of his footsteps echoing in the vast hallways.

"Your majesty, the Eastern Territory has sent an invitation for the recognition of the new Malik."

The King's brow arched up. " _New_ Malik?" The king could barely even recall the name of Koshijiro's child. The last time he had seen the old Malik was when Koshijiro attended his recognition to the Northern Throne, forty years ago.

And now his son was taking over? How time flies.

Megumi bowed solemnly. "Aoshi-sama, I believe was his name." she supplicated. "Rumors say the _Malik_ will not be able to make it 'until the next two nights."

"Decline the invitation." He dismissed, and Megumi jumped in panic. "But Kenshin,!" She dropped the honorific. "It is best that we reinforce our relations with the East, they are, after all, one of our allies-"

"I have more important matters to attend to, Megumi." Kenshin stopped when he reached his own chambers. He paused, knowing what was behind those doors.

"Your Highness, I also heard that they found their abducted Princess,"

"The one they denied existence for years and years?"

Megumi winced at the dripping ridicule in the dragon lord's voice. "But my lord, they rebuked that claim when they asked for help fifteen years ago, when she...supposedly...went missing," she trailed off, now unsure of her existence herself.

Kenshin chuckled his sarcasm. "I won't waste my time on a princess, especially a non-existent one."

He pushed the doors open into an immense bedroom, the heady scent of female arousal assaulting his sensitive nose. The poor retainer reeled from the unlikely attack, fleeing away from what was to come. Kenshin closed the heavy doors behind him. "Did my father send you here?"

"Yes," came the reply, and the king's lavender eyes tinted gold at the female before him. She was sprawled in his own bed, her hands teasing her own taut breasts, blue hair in waves, barely covering her naked form. Rising from her position, she sauntered her way towards him. His eyes narrowed and were completely engulfed in lust as the girl took the liberties in undressing his person.

"What makes you think you are worthy to even warm my bed?" Sharp fangs nipped at the side of her neck and the female held back, a coy smile on her face.

"I am a daughter of the Prince of the Southern Army, my lineage is pedigree." Wandering hands settled on the bulge of his breeches, firmly stroking his awakened member. "And I heard... that the great Northern King is in search of a lady to bear his heir."

It did not take long for him to decide on his next course of action.

* * *

Daylight had broken and the dining hall's silence was interrupted with the occasional clinking of glass and utensils."So how is she doing?" An imposing man with unbound raven hair leaned on the table, trying to establish a conversation with the younger-looking redhead. "Is she coming for breakfast?" His eyes wandered to the spiky-haired general who was seated by the middle, occupied with his own breakfast and not really paying attention to them.

He brought his gaze back to the king.

"I wouldn't know," was Kenshin's noncommittal reply, calmly sipping his tea. "I sent her back."

The general spurted out his drink. "What?! Where?"

Kenshin set his tea down. "To the Southern Territory."

The general beat his chest in a desperate attempt to relieve the choking sensation. "Kenshin, you sent her home in the middle of the night?! After all I've been through to bring her here?" He thought of the three-season worth travel and the immense dangers he and his cavalry had to face, and he glared at the raven-head before him. "Now how am I gonna explain that to the Southern Prince, oh _wise_ one?"

The raven-head just laughed, his amused guffaw making the general's brow twitch. "Hiko! this is no laughing matter." he stood defensively.

"Calm down, Sano. I will be the one to break the news if it troubles you so." He turned his attention back to his son. "So you didn't even try to copulate with her last night."

"I don't think this is a good conversation for breakfast," Sanosuke mumbled, but he pressed on, anyway.

Hiko only sighed. "So the rumors shall continue that the Lord of the North is unattainable," He tapped his temples. "But being unattainable poses a lot of problems, Kenshin. How are you to have an heir when your very seed is poison itself?"

Sanosuke dropped his meat at the mention of his cousin's bodily fluids.

His eyes narrowed at the King. "One of the strongest poison there is, filling her insides, into her womb, killing any possibility of conception...killing the woman _herself_. "

Slack-jawed Sanosuke turned to his king. "Kenshin. Would you _please_ make him stop."

Hiko only laughed again, taking a sip of his own tea. "Kenshin," he regained conversation, trying to establish eye contact with the disinterested Dragon Lord. His gaze was sharp, and this time, he held no jest to his expression. "I am not speaking to you as a councilor, but as your father." His lips pursed into a hard consternation. "In case you forgot, I age differently than you. I am getting impatient."

"I am perfectly aware." Kenshin stood, a fanged snarl in his irk."But there are more pressing concerns as of the moment."

He left the vast hall without any other word. His father only sighed and Sanosuke stood. "I will do the patrol as well," he started, brows meeting in concentration. "He needs all the support he can get if we are to defend our territory from this new insurgency."

"Oh," the patriarch sighed, "Then I guess it's up to me to pick a gift to send to the new Malik of the East," he feigned distress as Sanosuke exited the hall.

Hiko was left alone to his thoughts. This... _insurgence_ that they were facing now had turned out to be a bigger threat than he calculated would. This new group of nameless, faceless people trying to seize control of their castle and their dominance had done more damage than expected.

Rumor had it that this new faction had impeccable skill in ancient magic and that the Northern Castle would soon succumb to the constant attacks.

But he had faith in his son.

Hiko gave up the throne to him, forty years ago, when Kenshin started manifesting the rare traits of that special blood that made their lineage superior from any ordinary clan.

He was the flag bearer of their ancestral Dragon's Bloodline.

And with that said, no matter what happens,

the Northern Lands will always belong to the House of the Red Dragon.

Or so he believed.


	4. The Thirteenth Malik And His Fariq

_**A/N**_ : Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The characters and places I will use from Arabian folklore are for fictional purposes only _ **; I do not strive to be historically or geographically accurate.**_ This is AU, I do what I want! And you cant do anything 'bout that! =P **Long chapter ahead :) **

 _Fariq Awwal_ \- General

Anti-shock – The 'inner' circle of the Malik's Royal Army

Haladie- double-edged, curved dagger with the handle in the middle.

Sirwal - trousers

Katar – A type of dagger with an H-shaped hand grip

Haula- movement, transformation; power

Qaf- the realm of the Djinn

* * *

 _ **The Thirteenth Malik and his Fariq**_

* * *

When the Amir and Ameera of El Qasr emerged from the Malik's quarters two days later, a great silence settled on the entirety of the walled city. The flames on the four watchtowers had taken a deeper shade of blue, and all the trade routes of the sea and gates of the desert fortress had been shut down temporarily. Word spread to the vastness of the Eastern Territories, all to mourn the passing of Koshijiro, the Twelfth Malik.

The newly retrieved Ameera of the east stood by the cliff overlooking the rocky depression that led to the deepest, most dangerous part of the ocean of Sha'ra, distractedly looking at Aoshi and their trusted palace affiliates on the shore, preparing for her father's sea burial.

Kaoru absently reached for something on her sleeve. Her hands found the paper material she was searching for, and she clutched it tighter. It was the letter that was tucked in the wicker basket when her mother left her. She heaved a sigh of relief, finally having confirmation. Her father kept silent as to the contents of the letter, and now, being able to read it with her own eyes, she found out why.

Her father wanted to keep her by his side for as long as time permitted.

 _Koshijiro,_

 _Here is the legacy you wished for, our beautiful daughter. I have taken the liberties in naming her as Kaoru. Her birth has given me such joy. I cannot be with you to raise her, by now as you read this, I may only be mere mist in the ocean of Sha'ra, or dust and shadow in the lonely stretch of the desert valley._

 _Her djinni blood may be mixed with your race, but take heed, I am the Queen of the Marid, the last surviving of my clan, all power of my fallen ancestors has condensed to me. As I perish, all of that shall be passed on to our little girl._

 _In her human youth, she will only be endowed with surface magic, and her haula will only manifest if she is in grave danger, or she needs to protect something she deems more important than her life._

 _Koshijiro, there will come a time when her djinni haula will completely overtake her humanity, will devour her human blood to dominate her nature. This does not normally happen with mixed blood, but she is no ordinary halfling. She was created with the power of your wish. Fate will decide her course._

 _It will start when she stops aging, at the age of ten and six. The moment she does, bring her to the entrance to the Qaf Mountains and instruct her to go to the capital city of Shad-u-Kam in the Desert of the Demons. There I have the last of my allies, and they shall teach her the ways of the warrior-djinn. She may find herself captivated in the realm of magic, and may decide to stay there for good._

 _Allow Kaoru her own decision. I want her to be happy._

 _Please tell Kaoru I am sorry. I have failed to preserve the honor of our clan, and have left her with a mere legend of our great power. She has to keep her Marid origin a secret. This is of grave importance- we have been hunted down since the beginning of time for our power. I do not wish for her to share the same fate. I love you, Koshijiro, and the only thing that I deeply regret was that I could only stay for such a short time beside you. You are this djinni's greatest love, and for that, I thank you._

By then a curious movement caught her attention, and she turned back to the shore. Heavy smoke was rising from the small gathering, and an unsettling squeeze to her heart formed. With heavy feet, Kaoru started her way down to the grieving lot.

"Kaoru," Aoshi said as she approached, holding out his hand from which the young woman accepted. Her blue eyes connected with his and she gave him a nod of reassurance.

They brought their gaze back to the funeral pyre and watched as the small spark they lit roar into a blazing fire, the flames growing high and bright in the darkness of the solemn night. Kaoru took the letter from her mother and threw it to the flames, and it instantly combusted into ashes, purple sparks in its wake.

Slowly Aoshi pushed the wooden raft that carried the remains of their father into the reverse current of the mysterious ocean, and as it floated silently into the deep, everyone stepped back and bowed their heads, in respect for the Malik who had brought prosperity and power to the Eastern Lands.

Aoshi felt Kaoru's grip tighten.

He brought his gaze to her. Tears were trailing down her smooth cheeks, reflecting the flickers of the large fire that was slowly being swallowed by the vastness of the sea. She turned to him, and then looked up at the star-riddled sky and smiled. "Father had always told us that a time such as this would come." her eyes remained to the distant universes above them. She laughed, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. "We were so small back then, with no responsibilities burdening our minds. And now..."

Her brother's gaze drifted to the distant pyre."We shall honor his name, and we will continue what father has started. We are capable; his blood runs in our veins. He is alive in us."

Kaoru nodded, and brother and sister watched silently, hand in hand, until the light from the blazing pyre was a mere pinpoint from afar, and only the dim of the moonlight shone on their forms, the sound of crashing waves rhythmic and melancholic from their standpoint. They turned around, and the Amir's breath hitched at the sight before him.

Everyone else was on their knees, heads bowed down, as still and quiet as the shadows of the night.

Kaoru's hand slipped away from his, and as he turned to her, she had knelt herself to one knee in deep respect. "The Twelfth Malik's reign has come to an end." She said, never looking up in humbled submission. "Praises to Aoshi, the Thirteenth Malik of the East. May he bring our lands to further strength and prosperity."

"Praises to the King," the small crowd echoed in response, "Our loyalty is to the Thirteenth Malik."

Kaoru had to smile. She remembered them as small children running around the dusty streets of the walled city, sneaking into forbidden troves, causing immense worry to their guardians. She remembered those unforgettable nights in underground El Qasr, and of course, there was her own abduction.

How strong he had grown since then. The Ameera proudly watched as her brother stood with the confidence of a King before his loyal subjects:

Their father will smile down at them from the heavens.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this, Kamatari?" Kaoru said as she tightened the cloth on her long sleeve, securing the loose ends with ties. It had been two days since the burial, and the palace was still in a somber mood, she was not sure if such a ruckus was what the people needed. The Ameera bound her waist-length hair and proceeded to adjust her baggy _sirwal_.

"Of course, Tanuki! I've been itching to test those skills of yours." Aoshi's lieutenant was wiping down his giant scythe all the while stealing glances at his princess. He shook his head morosely.

"What." The Ameera raised her brow at the soldier's disapproval.

"Your father would have fainted if he'd seen you in such man-clothes." Kamatari smirked.

"Hey, I agreed to wear those silk dresses whenever he asked me to. I never shamed my father on those issues." Kaoru strode towards the armament wall and stopped. "Weapon?"

"Your choice." The lieutenant challenged, and Kaoru gave him an absent shrug, blindly pulling a large silver axe from the rack. "Isn't that too heavy for a little girl like you?" Kamatari teased.

Kaoru grinned. "Just because you will be the next Fariq doesn't mean you can be a jerk."

"Me? The next Fariq?" He laughed. "Who told you such nonsense?!"

"Who else would be?" Kaoru tilted her head in genuine confusion.

"Oh, my darling," Kamatari brandished her scythe, "you really have no idea, don't you?" Before the eager lieutenant could even step forward to initiate his attack, a tall figure brushed past him, and Kamatari halted, recognizing the figure as Aoshi. "Hey," he called out in dismay, "are you stealing my sparring partner?"

Without even looking at him, Aoshi answered, "you'll have to spar with her later. I'll play with her now."

"Bummer!" Kamatari exclaimed, but walked away from the open hall and sat on the corner, pouting.

"Spar with me?" Aoshi crooned as he approached, and his sister gave him a lopsided grin.

"How can I say no to my beloved brother?" she held the giant axe tight on her hand.

Aoshi strode forward, but what he did next caught the Ameera off guard. He grabbed the burning ember tray from the torches and threw it on her face, and the glowing ashes splayed on her eyes.

It blinded her.

She reeled back, stunned.

The crisp sound of metal cut through the tense air as he struck- and another sound of metal rang through the stone halls.

She had just deflected his Katar with her axe.

"My eyes are burning, good job!" Kaoru informed him sarcastically, her hand shaking as he bore down his weight on her parry. "You may have just blinded your sister _permanently_ , you selfish dolt!"

"I'm not going easy on you, so don't hold back. In the heat of battle, no one gives you second chances." Aoshi stood to his full height and drove his Katar straight towards her throat but she sidestepped, and he spun around and struck, the woman deflecting again. Without restraint, he released a barrage of strikes, each more powerful than the last, and the final clout shattered the very handle of her silver axe, the weapon falling to pieces.

Aoshi stopped.

His sister's blood dripped in great amounts to the floor: She had caught the blade of his Katar with her bare hands.

His gaze drifted to her face.

She was smirking.

"I already know that," she grinned, her eyes still closed. Gaining her footing the blinded woman gave a great shove up, knocking the ex-general's balance off. She suddenly lurched to the side and delivered a sharp kick to his ribs that knocked his breath away. He flew crashing on the stone pillar that supported the hall-

He was driven twenty feet away by the mere impact of her kick.

He was still on the floor, and he couldn't even see how fast she moved- she appeared smack before his eyes and drove her knees in the middle of his chest, pinning him to the ground, her abnormal strength crushing the bones on his ribs and he coughed out blood. She snatched one of his Katars and drove it into his hand, literally nailing his extremity to the floor with the deadly dagger. Aoshi almost screamed in pain.

Almost.

"You didn't have to remind me," she said as he tightened the hold she had on his neck, strangling him mercilessly. He watched her eerie, unseeing blue eyes tell the tale of the horrors she had been through, "I already learned it the hard way."

The blind girl suddenly ducked when his free katar attempted to plunge through the side of her neck, _at the same time_ dodging a giant scythe that attacked from behind, almost beheading her. She disengaged from the Malik, stealing his remaining Katar and flung it to the intruder, the sound of metal reverberating with an awkward _thwang_ as it ricocheted to a corner of the wall on Kamatari's parry. The lieutenant lashed his scythe with lightning speed at the advancing woman but the princess suddenly disappeared, and suddenly, Kamatari felt a sickening blow to the back of his head.

She had just bashed him with the silver handle of the broken axe.

Iron and steel chains suddenly shot out towards Kaoru. Aoshi disappeared from where he laid and had grabbed the unlikely weapon from the armament wall, and the woman backtracked, her vision regaining but still so blurry.

She cursed, able to taste the disgusting metal in the very air. She grabbed two haladies from the wall and lunged head-on, entangling the chains in the double-edged dagger and she flung it to the stone ceiling with such force it stuck deep in the stone, dragging the chains with it. The chains hung unreachable high in the dome. Aoshi grinned. "Impressive," he said.

Kaoru spun the second haladie in her hands and tapped her boots on the stone floor, testing the vibrations of the air and the echoes of the very ground- compensating for her blindness.

"Now you just need war stratagem and tactics training, and you're good to go."

Kaoru stopped her weapon manipulation and blinked. "Huh? Why would I need warfare strategy?" She looked straight at Aoshi, and she frowned.

Aoshi shrugged and wound a makeshift bandage around his bleeding hand. "Because I am the Malik, and I do what I want," he answered as he walked away.

Kamatari stood up, rubbing his throbbing head, and Kaoru dropped her complete focus, and her haladie, on the stone floor and ran up to her brother. "Brother," she tugged at his loose sleeve, looking up at his tall form like an impatient little child, "why would I need such training?!" she repeated, deeply disturbed.

"Are you questioning your King's decision?" Aoshi paused mid-way, and resumed his walking. Kaoru let go, a look of horror crossing her face.

She eyed his receding form suspiciously. "Aoshi, you're planning something devious, aren't you?!" she warned. She heard him chuckle as he threw her an amused sidelong glance. She gasped. "I swear, brother, if you do something funny I will skin you alive-"

He only waved his hand at her in dismissal.

* * *

Instead of fine silk and curve-hugging forms, Kaoru opted to wear her all-black desert warrior ensemble, just for this portion of the night. She and the Antishocks have just come back from border patrol, and being in 'princess ' silks will only attract attention, which she did not need at the moment. She needed to stay hidden.

She was searching for a certain red-haired King that saved her life not so long ago. Kaoru wanted to thank him formally. If not for the Northern King, she would not have been standing here, witnessing her brother formally accept the throne.

The noisy crowd was suddenly hushed, the bards halted their harps, and charmers paused their flutes- the Malik had appeared from the balcony of the town minaret. The crowd cheered when he started his speech. Kaoru distractedly clapped her hands, not really listening.

As scared as she was with fused iron and steel, she also had a horrible aversion to long, flowery speeches. It bored her to death, and unfortunately, Kamatari and Misao knew about it, when they were smaller they would sneak her into council meetings, and she was forced to stay. She grimaced at such memories; they had tortured her to no end, laughing at her expense.

Where was that king, anyway? She was so sure they sent him an invitation. He was not in the protected part of the crowd either. The Southern Prince was there, the Western King and his Queen, yet no sign of even a proxy that bore the Red Dragon's Crest was at sight. A sudden realization made her heart drop.

Did they ignore their invitation?

Were they really too arrogant, just like what the old man in the execution grounds had implied?

She shook her head. If the Northern Territories thought they were too impenetrable to need any allies, then it was not her problem.

 _What a shame._

She redirected her thoughts to the would-be Fariq Awwal of El Qasr. As a tradition, the identity of the General was always kept a secret, entrusted only to a few. Such a position was a heavy target for enemies- he was to be the mirror, sword and shield, the ultimate authority in military affairs, only to be below the Malik.

She thought of Kamatari. Surely the lieutenant would be the first choice. But there was Han'nya. How about Misao..? certainly not Misao. Not that she was a lesser warrior... her brother cared for her differently.

She smirked. How about she torture her dear brother with that knowledge?

"You're here!" Misao's voice drifted into her thoughts, and she felt a strong pull on her hand. She was being dragged with by the small woman, and Kaoru grinned. "Where are we going?" she asked playfully. Misao remained quiet, determined to bring her to their mysterious destination. "Have you found us a hidden trove?" Kaoru teased, but when they entered past the guards to the minaret, past the stairs that lead to the balcony, Misao stopped and turned, her own grin on her lips.

"Congratulations," Misao grinned suspiciously as she pushed a bewildered Kaoru out of the curtains, and the bright lights of the square temporarily blinded her. A sea of people assaulted her eyes. They were watching her closely from below, and before she could step back, Aoshi grabbed her hand.

"And it is to my pleasure," he continued his speech, "to present to you the next Fariq Awwal of the Eastern Lands." Kaoru's eyes flew wide open, realizing what was happening. She was thankful for the keffiyeh that concealed her face; she was very sure she was as pale as a corpse. Aoshi pushed her in front of him, and the crowd burst into cheers and exultations.

"Aoshi," Kaoru glared at him. "What the hell?!" But her Malik brother faced her and braced his hands on her shoulders. His voice dropped low, only for her to hear.

"You have been protecting us for a long time," he said, motioning to the giant blue flames of the watchtowers of the outer wall, and Kaoru fell silent. "More people need such protection and guidance, Kaoru. It might not be directly from your haula," his grip grew tighter, "But you have a way of handling great duress, and by that alone, you have my total confidence. As cruel as it may sound, since those forty nights in underground El Qasr, fate has entwined the art of chaos with your own soul.

It is not a curse. It is one of your many gifts, that only a true master of chaos like you can command. As early as your childhood, the position of Fariq was already decided for you.

Do not fight it, Kaoru. Accept your destiny."

The Ameera's blue eyes blazed with a flame of determination as she looked back at her Malik. She finally nodded, and Aoshi reached out to present to her the crest of their family, two crossing scimitars, and underneath were five stars, the insignia of the Fariq Awwal of the Royal Army of the East. With a sharp turn Kaoru held her insignia up to the crowd, and a roar of jubilation erupted. She had formally accepted the responsibility.

A great celebration took place that night, all for a new beginning of the Thirteenth reign.

* * *

The night was getting deeper, and everyone had descended on the stone and marble fairgrounds to celebrate. Kaoru was now stuck on her black ensemble for the rest of the night, and every once in a while, people would come up to her and give their formalities. Commoners, High-ranking officials from the East and the other territories; She was grateful her face was concealed. She was not used to such authoritative treatment. She noticed that everyone else who did not know her stood at least fifteen feet away from her. As if they were scared.

And once in a while, she would hear inquiries about the elusive Ameera of the East. Their excuse was that the princess was tired and needed rest. Kaoru almost laughed at the fragile doll they were trying to portray.

She shrugged, not really caring. Taking a swig of her ale, she looked around. Dancers were swaying their hips to the beat of the mirwas drums and the seductive sound of the mizmar, and looking at her fellow soldiers on her table, it seemed like the night would not be slowing down anytime soon.

"You switched tiles!" Shikijo, one of the inner members of the Royal Army, stood up and pointed an accusing finger to another man who had his arms folded in front of him.

"I did not! You just lost, and you just cant accept!" Another concealed man named Kurojo countered.

Laughter erupted on the table, but Kaoru was looking elsewhere, distracted. There was something in the wind that caught her attention. She stood up and left the noise of the crowd.

She stepped quietly away from the festivities, and disappeared in a shimmer of blue light, only to reappear outside the closed gates of El Qasr. Far from the noisy, festive atmosphere inside the walls, the vast stretch of desert before her lay still, like a lover waiting in his lavish bed, and it almost took all of Kaoru's willpower to not give in to the seductive call to her spirit.

She was so very tempted. The curves of the dunes, the provocatively deep moans of sand shifting on the wind's caress, she was bewitched, and she had to close her eyes and pause in attempts to quell her escalating lust.

When she opened her eyes, a cool Northeastern desert wind blew her way.

Rising from its hiding place was a wild prairie dog, sniffing around for food. A snake suddenly emerged from the sand, and it struck the unsuspecting canine, injecting its poison into the dog's throat. Kaoru watched as the dog's limbs slowly locked, and its eyes glossed over.

The canine convulsed on the ground.

Kaoru's eyes widened as she realized the vision. She brought her gaze back to the full moon. It was in the highest position now, and she realized, it was time for her to start her journey. Digging her heels on the sand, she spun around and disappeared yet again in a shimmer of blue light.

* * *

Kaoru had reached the forbidden cliff, and she hid her smile when she realized the familiar, tall figure of her brother stood by the edge. "I figured out why you assigned me as Fariq." She said as she approached, taking off the keffiyeh that concealed her face. Aoshi raised a brow in question.

"Oh? Why did I do such a horrendous act?"

Kaoru smirked. "Because, by making me the General, you have bound my conscience to the city- therefore I shall be forced to return from Qaf, whether I like it or not."

Aoshi threw his head back and gave out a deep laugh. He had not remembered laughing like this since her abduction, and yes, he had to admit. She was too precious of a jewel to let go. He strode forward and threw his arms around her. She embraced back.

"They say the entrance to the mountains itself is a four-month journey in total darkness." Kaoru started, "I do hate walking long distances. Do you think I can bring a horse with me? Or at least a mule... I can settle with a mule-""

"Six days." He said. "As your Malik, I give you a maximum of six days to be in the realm of the djinn. Then you come back. That is an order." Aoshi even thought it was more than enough, and he was too generous. It was heavily believed that a day for them was equivalent to ten years in Qaf, therefore, technically, he was allowing his sister sixty years in the forbidden realm.

"The flames of the watchtowers," Kaoru suddenly said, "If it is extinguished before six days, you have to stop waiting for me and look for another Fariq."

Aoshi tenderly cupped her small face in his hands. "And that will not happen. You will return as promised." Kaoru nodded her head in affirmation. Slowly she pulled away and proceeded to the edge of the cliff.

She paused.

"Brother, before I leave, can I ask you a favor?" She looked at Aoshi, and he nodded.

"Can you send a message to the Northern King? Tell him the desert has granted me with a vision... tell them to be very careful with who they let kneel before their feet." She thought of the poison spreading through the dog's body. "An infiltration will happen, and it will fester in their system... so deep that when they realize, it might be too late."

"Kaoru," Aoshi said, and the young woman smiled.

"Use my seal in the letter so that they will know the message is from the Fariq of El Qasr." She shook her head, "I don't know if that will make the warning any more believable. We can send them a bind serum if they ask. It may sound cruel, but given the warning, desperate measures are needed. I just hope they are not too proud." Kaoru shifted her feet, and she faced the ocean before her.

"I shall be on my way, now, my Aoshi."

Aoshi smiled. "Don't cause any trouble there, Kaoru."

With a sidelong glance and a mischevious twinkle in her eye, Kaoru grinned. "I'll try not to."

Stepping back two paces behind her, Aoshi watched as his dear sister broke into a run towards the edge of the cliff and leaped, her feet leaving the security of the ground, into the immense drop of the crashing dark ocean below. Aoshi's gaze followed her form as it was illuminated by the full moon, and she plunged into the abnormal tidal swirls of the deepest part of electric blue Sha'ra-

Into the gateway that lead to the Edge of the World.

When no other movement was evident, Aoshi stepped back and started off. He had a missive to write, and he hoped they would give their reply as soon as possible. Kaoru had made it sound so urgent; he could not help but be concerned for their estranged ally.

But the Thirteenth Malik will not know that the North will never reply to his missive, and it wouldn't be until after five years later when they would indirectly hear from them, from the direst circumstances.


	5. The Forgotten Alliance

_**A/N:**_ Keffiyeh - A traditional Middle Eastern headdress/scarf worn around the head/neck

I love RK fics with an independent Kaoru.

Just so you know, any and all reviews/follows are highly appreciated. It keeps a hesitant newbie like me highly encouraged to write more. Thanks, and Happy New Year!

* * *

 _ **The Forgotten Alliance**_

* * *

 _-Five Years Later,_

 _The Port of Keispelt, Northern Territory-_

There was a disturbing hum that lingered in the silence when the galleons from the Western Territories docked in the misty piers of Keispelt. Barely even the crack of dawn, two concealed figures stirred in the empty port as they waited for the unloading of their precious cargo from the ship. They were quiet and unmoving, like eerie stone statues in the middle of the thick fog.

The sound of footfalls approached, and the captain of the ship emerged from the shadows, his height and stance intimidating to the untrained eye. But his movements; the way he flicked his gaze around, how he jumped at the slightest changes around him- he was a nervous wreck.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you," one of the concealed figures extended a large pouch to the man, from which he greedily snatched. He pulled the strings open, revealing an overflow of gold coins, filled to the brim. The man frowned.

"This won't be enough." The captain shook his head.

"Oh?" The concealed figure taunted. "How much payment do you require for a mere _transport_?"

The captain cursed in anger. " _Mere_ transport? I lost ten of my best men, and two of my convoys just having those... _monsters_ on my ship!"

"The monsters you are talking about, we made very sure they were bound-"

"Then what you did was not enough!" The captain lashed angrily. "We were attacked on our voyage- relentlessly. Those... devils- they summoned sirens and leviathans from the deep,

called upon raging storms, it was a miracle we were able to survive."

A chilly wind blew from the docks, and it brought forth that ominous hum, sonorous like a heavy premonition of doom. The captain's hackles stood upon hearing the noise. He shifted his gaze to the concealed figure, from underneath its hood, it smiled.

"Did they, now?" the captain heard him chuckle, and the other concealed figure reached out from behind and flung another bigger pouch, the gold spilling on the stone ground. As the captain knelt to pick up the pieces, laughter broke the silence, and the captain lifted his gaze up.

"By what you said, our master will be greatly pleased. Now, where is it? I can barely wait-" his fanged grin made the captain shudder.

The burly seafarer turned to his ship concealed by the dense fog, the wood creaking as the battered vessel floated on the water."Boys! Disembark!" He ordered his crew, and the two figures approached the bridge, eager to meet their item as it was discharged from the ship:

Three large iron maidens.

Heavy charms and talismans were slapped haphazardly around and in excess, the weight of the binding spells hanging heavily in the air. The loud hum seemed to reverberate from inside, and as the cloaked figure reached out to run his hands on one of the iron maidens, the contraption _shook_. A spine-tingling scream broke from inside, and a very loud, violent banging rocked the sealed device, desperate for escape.

"Now leave." the captain said as he backed away, fear swallowing his entire being. "Take it away...

as far as you can."

The captain and his crew watched silently as the figures called for their entourage, who had been hiding in the shadows all this time. They loaded the massive iron contraptions in their odd carriages, and as their outline disappeared into the dense fog of the misty port, the captain could only despair.

 _What evil had he unwittingly brought into the Northern Lands?_

* * *

It was sunset when the procession finally reached its destination. Hidden deep in the Northern Mountains, inside a concealed fortress, the three Iron Maidens were set before a grand throne-like hall.

A man with dusty white hair sat on the fake throne, his sinister grin evident as he studied the metal contraptions before him. The windows were open, circulating an intruding warm breeze, deviant from the eternally frozen Tundras of the North. "We've laid low enough for the Northern Reign to drop their defenses," the white-haired man said. "Jinei, send the message to our spies in the Northern Castle in the Sky. We come in as they settle for the night."

One of the hooded figures stepped forward, taking off his hood, revealing empty black eyes and a sinister grin. "Consider it done, My Lord. The Dragon will never know what hit him."

The man shifted. "Finish off the axillaries, but I want to save the best for later." The man grinned. "The Dragon Lord deserves a formal execution, along with his inner circle- one in front of an audience, just like how he took away my father's life." A blaze of rage burned within his dark eyes, and he lifted his hand towards the three Iron Maidens. The metal devices shook and hummed, the banging from inside escalating.

"Hyoko. Open their prison and unbind them," he ordered, and the second concealed figure emerged from the shadows and bowed. Six long metallic appendages extended from his back, tearing the paper and cloth seals that bound the iron contraptions shut, and the rocking stilled.

Scorching, raging fire exploded in the hall.

A horde of red dust and lightning escaped from the torture device and lunged directly at the grinning man. Without any fear in his mad eyes, he spread his hand, revealing the ring on his finger that glowed with an internal light.

The red swarm instantly crumbled into dust, and when the sparks and embers died down, three new figures knelt before him, and the man raised his chin haughtily. "I have taken possession of the Seal of Solomon. Recognize me, Enishi of the House of White Snow, as your master. You are now bound to me for all eternity."

As Enishi shifted his gaze away from the subjugated entities, he observed the darkening sky. "We have to go."

"My Lord, just one more thing," another figure emerged from the doorway. Enishi threw his glare towards the newcomer.

"What is it, Tatsumi."

"We have not calculated this possibility: what if some allies interrupt our plan?" Tatsumi kept his head bowed low in fear. Enishi hung his head down, and his shoulders shook. His laughter echoed inside the hall.

"You humor me, Tatsumi. That will never happen. The House of the Red Dragon...

they have no allies."

* * *

 _-El Qasr-_

The horse-mounted figures that waited for him by the cliff that overlooked the forbidden part of Sha'ra bowed their heads down upon his arrival, the loose fabrics of their pitch-black ensemble flapping against the ocean wind.

The Thirteenth Malik, clothed in his impeccable white silks, did not bother to dismount his stallion. His calculating eyes went straight to one of the figures on the very edge of the cliff, the one that bore their family crest and five stars underneath, the Fariq Awwal of the East. Ice-cold blue eyes met her stunning electric, and he steadied his horse. Her mere presence made his entourage restless. "You called for me." He said.

"I did," she answered unassumingly, her eyes clashing against the black keffiyeh that concealed her face. Aoshi raised his gaze to study the warrior before him.

Aoshi recalled the time when he found her on the cliff five years ago, back from the djinni realm in a mere four days instead of the estimated six, broken and in tears. She was clutching two bloody scimitars in her hands, crying her heart out, calling out a single name over and over again in desperate grief.

That broken woman had quickly recovered. What emerged was a formidable General, those two scimitars were now restored and eternally strapped to her left hip, a hefty quiver of arrows on her right. Strung on her back was a giant crossbow more than half the size of her body.

And the way she carried herself whenever she bore the insignia of the Fariq, no one would ever suspect: that she was a woman, his beloved sister, the sheltered Ameera of the East.

"Speak." He ordered, sensing her urgency.

"Your Highness," she said, her eyes were steeled. Her shoulders and voice firmed from experience- from large-scale wars and plunders she had battled in the realm of the djinn, to insurgencies and depredations in their own beloved Kingdom of the East. "Sirocco has carried the whispers circulating in the Northern Mountains." She brought her electric blue eyes Northward. The desert sky bled with gold and red, and the sun was at its lowest point in the west, half of its celestial body seemingly buried in the sand.

Stars were appearing in the darkening heavens.

"The Dragon's enemy has taken possession of an ancient power, and it shall be released tonight. The final siege will happen. The flag bearer shall be bound, and the House of the Red Dragon will fall."

* * *

Dark shadows crept, concealed in the moonless night as the torches were lit inside the quiet hallways of the Northern Castle in the Sky. The King had just emerged from his study with a disapproving frown crossing his face. For the whole day, he buried himself in paperwork that his retainer endlessly piled on his desk.

Kenshin sighed. He almost missed the thrill of the fight, when raids and insurgencies were littering his kingdom. Now, everything seemed peaceful. He chuckled at the thought of the letter that the supposed Fariq of the East passed on to him, five years ago.

He would never forget that missive, only because of the sheer audacity of the young Kingdom of the Thirteenth Malik. They were offering him 'help,' even sending him a bind serum. What were they thinking, that they were not sufficient to protect their own? The new Malik and his _arrogant_ general: they were merely riding the coattails of their father's success.

His kingdom of the North, on the other hand, was tested with time, was established with blood and war and sacrifice.

 _"You should be wary," His general, Sanosuke, taunted mockingly. "The East, especially their capital El Qasr, is a weird lot. They believe in visions and hocus pocus shit,"_

Kenshin paused, a sardonic smile crossing his features. He had stopped in front of Sanosuke's quarters. He knocked on the door but there was no answer, which was odd: by this time his general would have been finished with his patrols. Kenshin stepped back and listened to the quiet of the hallways.

There was something... wrong.

His lavender eyes flashed gold, and his hand unconsciously hovered to the hilt of his sword.

Then, he heard it.

A curious, heavy hum... like a swarm of cicadas droning in the air, and his energy detected a malicious abnormality coming from his father's study. His eyes flew wide and he bolted to the room, and he kicked the door open.

What met his vision drained the blood from his face.

His father was bound and on his knees, two figures standing behind him: a large man and a blindfolded swordsman. The swordsman was holding his father by the hair, and Hiko's eyes came in contact with his son.

"Run," Hiko pleaded.

A sudden, sickening sound of metal through flesh and muscle sliced through the air.

Kenshin watched in horror as his proud father's decapitated head rolled on the floor. Hiko's blood soaked the carpet, and the King wanted to scream, but he could not move.

He could not move!

He summoned his deeper draconian energy, but he was bound. His father's dismembered body slumped lifeless, the blood continuing to pool around him. Unconscious tears streaked on the King's face as he fell on his knees.

 _What is happening?_

 _What the HELL is happening?!_

He felt a tight grip on his shoulder, and the angelic face of a young man hovered close to him, _smiling._

"You must be the famed Dragon Lord of the North." The young man said. "Pleased to meet you. I bound you with the strands of lightning and the pull of the tidal currents, so right now, you might experience a bit of a _stun._ "

Kenshin tried to move his limbs, but it was all in vain. The image of his father's beheading stuck on his mind, gnawing at his shocked conscience mercilessly, eating away at his fraying sanity.

 _Father,_

His eyes were flickering helplessly back and forth from lavender to gold, unable to let out the rage in him, being choked relentlessly by paralyzing shock. He was teetering from madness and anger and a cacophony of emotions- he couldn't do anything. _Pathetic_! The heavy fall of his tears were soaking on the carpet, and he desperately willed movement, but he could not command his faculties. _Impossible...How utterly IMPOSSIBLE!_

"Don't worry," the young man with the angelic face reassured. "When the effects wear off, you will have joined your father, into the uncharted valleys of death."

* * *

The Fariq's eyes snapped sharply to the North, into the darkened sky of the desert valley. In a mere few minutes since their conversation started, the sun had set. "The first blood has been spilled," Kaoru suddenly said, her visible blue haula cackling around her in urgency, and Aoshi's eyes narrowed.

Aoshi saw her eyes darken, and he mentally cursed. He did not expect things to crumble as fast as this. "How long will it take for you to get there?" The Malik asked, and she scanned the vast perimeter of the desert.

"By horse, two months," she said, "with my surface energy, two weeks," From her keffiyeh, her blue eyes locked with his. "With my Marid haula, two days."

Aoshi did not think twice. "We won't be able to impede the seige," he said, "The most we can do at this point is a rescue. Salvage what you can." The King of the East cast his confident gaze to his general.

"Go."

The small army of ten horse-mounted soldiers bowed down, and the Fariq, upon raising her head, reined her feisty stallion, and it reared, from which she gave a sharp kick. Its hooves crashed on the ground, the sound echoing into the empty desert scape.

She thundered past him, her nine chosen soldiers following closely behind, summoning a storm of dust across their tracks.

Aoshi watched from the high elevation as they rode off into the endless stretch of the night desert. The stars up above them was infinite and sheltering, the moonlight shining on their shadow-like forms as the loose cloth of their black capes and silks flapped against the wind from their mere speed.

He would never admit to her, and even her subordinates had confided to him secretly:

They feared her, the djinni warrior that emerged from Qaf five years ago.

As they stormed across the desert, the Fariq held out something from her pocket: a compass pointing North. Still at the manipulation of her powerful and thundering horse, she released a hand from the rein and held the compass out.

A thick mist of blue spilled out from the device as she infused her djinni energy. She looked behind her, to her soldiers, and commanded the living cloud to creep towards her army's tracks, entwining itself with the storm of dust their horse's footfalls had kicked up. Seeing that they were wholly entangled with the blue dust, Kaoru flung the compass in the sand, and a massive swirl of azure cloud erupted, swallowing her and her charging army whole.

They vanished into the desert air, leaving behind a trail of blue dust and lightning in their wake.


	6. The Second Meeting: Fate

_**The Second Meeting: Fate**_

* * *

They say a dragon's vulnerability depends on what attribute it has, but regardless of its type, the most potent weakness is in its eyes. And he was no exception.

According to Northern legends, the fire-drakes of the North, once it attained its pure form, had a hide stronger than steel, the spikes jutting out from the vertebrae leaking deadly poison. Its wings could summon the strongest storms, claws and tail strong enough to destroy a fortress in one blow. With other dragons the belly is left vulnerable, but a fire-drake is protected with a special thick plate as invincible as its hide.

Its breath is what makes it terrifying, it possesses the fire that can burn the gods.

The Northern King had not reached such peak of power, for the old masters of the ancient world had ceased to exist long before him. He had no one to train him to channel such magic out.

Despite all that he remained feared throughout the northern lands. Even when he was still general to his father's army and had not possessed deeper magical energy, his father's enemies trembled at his feet.

He fought beside his father as they overthrew the oppressive reign of The House of White Snow.

And as he began showing the traits of a fire-drake, he was feared even more.

 _Was_ , is the aptest description.

The Northern King adjusted his wrists, the ropes imbued with lightning and tidal currents were digging into his skin. He was finally able to move but not enough even to stand. The King turned towards the bound people beside him.

His general, his retainer, the cook, his pageboy and the council attendant. All bound in the same ropes he was in, and Kenshin couldn't imagine the amount of subjugation they were under, the fact that they were humans. He was completely drained by the spell, how much more them?

His jaw visibly clenched, and his gaze shifted high up to the towering poles that held the old Northern crest- A white mountain peak, the symbol of the House of the White Snow.

He cast his eyes down to the wooden platform, the heavy realization sinking in. His eyes were his weakness as legends always said.

He failed to see the betrayal in front of him.

He thought of the woman, the retainer before Megumi, whom he elevated to a counselor. Tomoe, who was the daughter of the Old King before him. He took her in, even made her one of his potential consorts- having grown up with her, he thought he found his intended.

But as she grew older, her beauty ebbed away by the passing of time. He remained physically younger than her, and he realized, one day, as she stood beside the other court women, his lust for her faded. She eventually married one of the high priests and had her own family.

But he still trusted her to advise, and he elevated her to the position of counselor. She requested her young brother, Enishi, be one of his ambassadors. And so he agreed, and the young ambassador brought in more of his men into the northern system. The infiltration was happening before his very eyes, but he remained blind, because of his trust. And when she died in childbirth, her last words for him was a soft "sorry."

He tried to justify. His fondness for her was not because of love, that had already faded as her beauty did. It was brought by the many years they were together, and she had been beside him during the establishment of his then-young kingdom.

He looked beside him, to the bound figures of his surviving inner circle.

 _So did they, yet I never held them at the same pedestal._

 _I failed to hear, I was unable to see._

His thoughts drifted to his father, and the last advice he gave him. It was about friendship and alliance- that was when he found out about the letter from the Fariq of the East. How mad his father had been, knowing his son had kept the letter to himself, and paid no heed to the warning.

Bitter regret swelled painfully in the King's throat as he thought of the missive. He did not trust the young kingdom, and he felt the bind serum was poison itself.

" _If you did not trust their ways, then you should have at least tested the loyalty of your subjects in your own methods,"_ he recalled his father say. _"There was nothing to lose from their warning, and everything to gain. Even if you won our kingdom with your blood, never grow complacent. Your arrogance will destroy you."_

His dear father was only looking out for the kingdom that he entrusted, was just looking out for the safety of his son. And where was he now?

The torturing image of his father's headless body on the floor flashed in his head, drowning in a pool of blood. He will not have a proper burial, knowing the vengeful mind of Enishi. The painful swell in his throat felt as if it were about to explode, and tears streaked down from his lavender eyes.

 _I'm sorry... father..._

Something shifted from beside him. He turned and saw his faithful retainer Megumi, the one he would continuously raise a voice to, the one he would always condescend. "Why are you crying, My Lord?" she said weakly, her voice almost a whisper from the magic binds and the freezing cold. Her lips cracked from dehydration, her cheeks bruised from the two-day torture they endured in their own chambers.

"Dry your tears. We look up to you for strength...

don't let us down, at least in these last moments of our life."

His eyes widened, her words fueling his shame and regret. It brought forth more tears, he willed it so hard to stop but it wouldn't.

"Hey Kenshin," Sanosuke's voice croaked from beside her, "We did great, didn't we?"

 _Stop it..._

 _I don't deserve such loyalty._

They gave him a small smile.

Snow started to fall, and he brought his gaze back to the towering poles that held the banner of the Old King. The peaks of the mountains nestled and ultimately hid their execution grounds. No one else will ever know what will happen to him and his surviving inner circle. He stared quietly at the gloomy sky.

He had been here before, just when he could not remember. So many raids, so many insurgencies.

 _All for nothing._

Heavy footfalls approached their slumped forms. The executioner stared down at him and a cold gust of wind blew, chilling his bones, chilling his very soul. A sharp tug to his bound hands and he felt himself dragged across the wooden platform.

He was positioned on the chopping block.

The wind had brought with it an odd sense of heaviness, and with distant detachment, Kenshin thought of the East and how some magic-wielders had the rare ability to speak to the winds. The Fariq in his missive, he mentioned the desert wind Sirrocco and how it whispered to him, passing the message from Mistral.

What will the winds say to him now?

A massive gust blew again, as if announcing something, and his unbound red hair scattered, falling over his bruised, dirtied face. He looked behind him, to his faithful subjects.

They gave him a solemn nod.

He brought his gaze to the restless soldiers of the traitorous house of Snow. A rowdy bunch, untrained, and dare he say, uncivilized. They even brought in slave giants from the West with them- towering cyclops, their earsplitting bellows bouncing on the mountain face as the soldiers restrained them with magic-imbued ropes.

They were the audience to his execution. Enishi was not even there.

 _How shameful, to be kneeling in front of them._

"Hail to the Feared and Mighty Fire-Drake of the North," the executioner mockingly proclaimed,

"Hail to the mighty king!" The soldiers egged, and Kenshin finally cast his gaze down. The executioner grabbed the rusted axe from the side and lifted it above his head, poised exactly by the Dragon Lord's neck. "Three!" he started his countdown.

The king's tears fell on the wooden platform, as softly as the snow kissed the ground.

"Two!"

The noise was deafening, and he tried to drown it out. He thought of his father, will they be reunited? Was life beyond death certain?

"One!"

The King shut his eyes tight, waiting for the blade to slice through his neck. Then, a strange whirring sound zipped past his ears-

and there was silence.

He waited. He waited for the sensation of the blade on his flesh, but it did not come. The King realized the silence had consumed the very air, he could feel the very weight as he _tasted_ it, and his hackles stood as he heard:

that ominous hum, that droning sound.

He opened his eyes. A heavy blue mist, almost looking like smoke, crept on the ground and surrounded him but did not touch him. He brought his gaze up. All of the soldiers were prostrated, forced on their knees from a severe subjugation, the mist binding their heads low in a humiliating kneel.

In the middle of the subjugated soldiers was a foreign, horse-mounted warrior clothed in midnight black, his face concealed with a heavy keffiyeh, the small slit revealing his electric blue eyes. He had two scimitars on his left hip and an arrow quiver on his right: he had been pointing a giant crossbow to his direction, and the Northern King's eyes widened as he realized what that whirring sound from earlier was.

An audible thud fell to his side, and from his peripheral vision, he saw the executioner slumped on the wooden platform with an abnormally large arrow jutting from his head.

The blue mist had crept through the entirety of the grounds, under the feet of the soldiers, avoiding the horse-mounted source itself, avoiding him and his inner circle. He realized that the living cloud had already hung visibly above them, creating an eerie, swirling heaven with lightning illuminating the edges.

The warrior pointed his crossbow skywards, and Kenshin saw it. The insignia on the left side of his ensemble. He had seen it before, five years ago. Two crossing scimitars, and five stars underneath.

It was him, the Fariq of the East.

* * *

When he fired at the heavens, a heavy shower of arrows and blue flame answered from the sky. The ground trembled from the impact of the monstrous rain, and it ended as quickly as it started.

The subjugation lifted. More than half of the enemy's soldiers laid lifeless on the ground, great amounts of blood from the slaughter drenched the slush. The survived soldiers from the House of White Snow stood and madly retaliated, and the Fariq's horse reared. He raised his scimitar and nine more foreign-clad warriors with the same black flowing ensemble charged from the edges- and their forces clashed. Sword against sword, magical fire and holy energy imbued with flying blades adding to the already tumultuous scene before him.

He did not recall the East being _this_ strong. That was when the King of the North realized how much of a powerful entity the new Eastern Malik and his Kingdom was- he had entrusted just his general and a mere nine warriors to obliterate a hundred soldiers.

A loud crash jolted him from his senses, and he looked up only to see a black war stallion thundering towards him. It came tearing through the discord, mounting the higher wooden platform, never stopping. Only when it was inches close to him did a hand reach out from the mount and grabbed him roughly by the collar. The weakened king was lifted up by abnormally strong arms and ungracefully positioned before the horseman, between his arms that controlled the horse's reins.

Kenshin recognized the insignia of the Fariq on his left breast.

The warrior gave a sharp tug to make a turn and the horse reared, spinning around, back into the chaos.

The sudden throw slammed the Northern King into the firm figure of the Fariq, and it dawned on him.

The warrior, up close, was softer... and smaller than him- The Fariq looked at the Dragon Lord, stunning blue eyes illuminated in the gloom. "My apologies, your highness," she said.

 _A woman._

He did not know what she was apologizing for, until she suddenly lurched and released a hand, grabbed him again by the collar and he was _thrown_ into the air like a mere doll. Another black-clad horseman met him halfway, catching him in a coordinated pass. As they started the opposite direction, Kenshin strained to turn and his eyes never left her. He watched the Fariq as her horse gave a great leap, head on towards the raised hand of a giant cyclops, and she dismounted her stallion and jumped mid-air, her two scimitars ready in her hands. She twisted her body, high above the giant to add torque to her strike.

Blood spattered violently on her black ensemble, as her scimitar plunged into its colossal eye.

The horse Kenshin was mounted on suddenly reared, and he brought his attention back to himself and the warrior with him. A big man, and from his keffiyeh, he had a scar running across his eye. "Woah," the man pulled on the reins as their horse halted to a stop- they were met with another cyclops, towering before them, screaming.

Two large projectiles suddenly came spinning past them, and it instantly struck its eye and its forehead.

The loud, heavy hum suddenly invaded their ears and the Fariq appeared high above them and the giant, hovering in a cloud of blue mist and lightning. She reached out and extracted her curved swords from the cyclops' flesh and yet again, blood spattered violently on her form as they came crashing on the ground, the earth trembling beneath them.

The warrior that carried the Northern King galloped towards the Fariq, who was standing on the face of the giant, cleaning her swords vainly with her cape.

"I owe you one," he said, and the Fariq's steeled blue eyes met his.

"No worries. Just remember the directive I gave you." She said as she strapped her scimitars on her hip. They could hear a stallion approaching. "Leave no witnesses. Make it look like an attack from another insurgent faction."

The Fariq mounted her horse and she took the giant crossbow from her back, loading it with an arrow. "The Northern King and his entourage-" she said as she kicked her horse, "they did not survive."

Without looking back, the Fariq of the East rode off, back into the middle of the dying chaos. Kenshin suddenly felt the sharp sensation of metal slicing on his neck, and his eyes flew open as the firm grip of the warrior behind him held him down.

" _They did not survive."_ The last part of the Fariq's directive echoed in his confused mind.

His blood spilled on the snow and he felt a pull to his hair. The warrior had just chopped off a handful strand and released some on the ground, his hair as equally red as the blood it fell on. Another warrior clad in black ensemble, a considerably smaller one, rode up to them.

"Shikijo," she said. "Han'nya found wolves stalking the borders. Give me some of the Northern King's blood soaked hair and he will feed it to them."

"How about his surviving entourage?" he asked.

"We did the same, some with their body parts." The small woman answered without even flinching.

" _The Northern King and his entourage, they did not survive."_ Kenshin finally understood the last part of the directive. They would make it look like they were killed during the sudden attack... and devoured by a pack of wolves.

His vision started flickering and he swayed.

"Misao," Shikijo said as he passed him to her, mounting him on her horse, a task that was not even easy.

Misao fusssed as she pressed her free hand on his neck. "I can close this superficial wound, but his dwindling magic is the greatest concern." she looked at her companion. "It's dominating his body, consuming his life." She tugged on his binds but it wouldn't budge. "Looks like only our mischevious hellion can break this ridiculous thing."

A sudden burst of red flame erupted in the middle of the clash, and their gazes snapped towards the discord. "Hyottoko is on a roll there," Shikijo exclaimed.

"That signals were almost done." She brought her gaze back to the king. "I can sustain him for two days, but we have to get home before that or else my own holy energy is depleted and it would kill _me_." she clucked her tongue in childish annoyance. "Don't want that to happen yet. I still want to bear Aoshi's babies!"

Shikijo, now free of the King, gave to her a handful of Kenshin's blood-soaked hair and chuckled. "In your dreams, you little squirt!" he shot, and he pulled on his reins and rode off himself, brandishing his broadsword. "I have to go, your tattle is making me miss out all of the fun!"

As Kenshin teetered into unconsciousness, he felt the gentle trod as their horse started to run to the other direction, away from the chaos. "Hang in there, your highness," the warrior named Misao said, and that was the last thing he heard before darkness swallowed his whole world.


	7. The Legend of Underground El Qasr

_**A/N:**_

 **Hellion** \- a rowdy, mischevious, troublemaking person

 **Nasnas** – beast with half features (half head, half body, half arms and legs)

* * *

 _ **The Legend of Underground El Qasr**_

* * *

 _It was hard to breathe._

The Thirteenth Malik would have slept in late, the Anti-shocks and his guests from the North had popped up in the middle of the night, and he simply had not slept until the late hours of dawn. He knitted his brows together and moaned his protests, loud enough to make the large object on his chest shift.

 _Still. It was hard to breathe._

He opened his eyes to see a very hideous, very smitten _nasnas_ lying on top of him, stroking his hair rather intimately, and it dragged its long, slimy tongue across his cheek, leaving behind a thick film of brown slime on his face.

Aoshi scoffed in annoyance.

"Go away," he said, and the nasnas growled. Its warty tongue darted out again, but Aoshi reached out and spread his palm on its face and pushed, the beast falling on its back, bouncing on the bed. It hissed in anger, quickly sitting up and straddled the Malik. It bared its rotten fangs and lurched towards his neck, about to bite when Aoshi suddenly opened his eyes. "What do you want, Kaoru."

The nasnas disappeared in a cloud of blue mist and lightning, and what was left in place was the figure of a woman, his sister the Ameera, tracing the outline of his face with her finger through the slime. "I was bored in my room," she said as she rested herself on top of him, her chin on her hand like a little child. "And breakfast is ready. Aren't you gonna wake the guests up?" She tilted her head as she picked up a stray strand of his hair and played with it between her fingers.

"I'm skipping breakfast today. And to remind you, that is not my job, waking up guests. And what are you doing here? You should be patrolling the borders in a few minutes from now."

Kaoru bore down her weight. "Just because you and Misao are engaged now, you don't have time for me anymore." His sister sighed in exaggerated, overly dramatic heartbreak.

Aoshi had to sigh on his own. "If you are that excited to meet the Northern King, why don't you wake him up yourself? I'm sure he wouldn't mind seeing a lovely sight such as you, first thing in the morning."

He reached out and kissed her forehead tenderly, and the Ameera dissolved in her blue mist and reappeared at the doorway, stretching her own sleep out of her body. The silks on her figure slid down, conforming to her curves and swells, her hair falling in cascades of midnight black past her waist.

A sultry sight indeed, Aoshi shook his head morosely, as her back arched and exposed a scandalous expanse of skin from her midriff. His sister in womanly silks was causing a lot of turmoil and torture in the palace lately, especially to the male population. But what else can he do? He couldn't let her wear those baggy man-clothes she loved all the time.

"That would be a good idea," she said as she smirked, a plan most probably forming in her mind. She turned towards him and grinned. "I'll see you later, dear brother." She opened the double doors and exited the large room.

* * *

A moist, sticky sensation patted on his cheek, and Kenshin, still groggy from the effects of the concoction they let him drink when he woke up in the middle of their unusual trek, struggled to reclaim the equilibrium in his system. He remembered waking up to the sound of thundering horses. They were traveling in what seemed like a hurricane of sand, blue mist and lightning.

The sticky feeling swatted at him again, and finally, the Northern King opened his eyes.

An ugly-ass toad was sitting on his chest, its unusual blue eyes looking back at him with an eerie sense of sentience.

Kenshin would have jumped at the unusual sight, but in his hazy mind, he thought of it as a hallucination. As he started to close his eyes again, he saw it.

The toad reached out its slimy hand and _slapped him._

The Northern King shot up from his position in shock. The toad, from his sudden change, spilled out of the bed and tumbled on the floor. It rolled helplessly on the marble and finally hit a nearby chair.

The small body gathered itself and turned to Kenshin, its strange blue eyes glaring at him accusingly. It gave out a series of angry croaks and Kenshin frowned in utter confusion. Before the King could step away from his bed, the ugly-ass toad suddenly launched itself towards him, and it landed smack on his face.

Kenshin swore goosebumps rode under his skin. Terrified, the Northern King slapped the toad away and it landed with a splat on the bedpost. He took his sword and attacked the small devil, ripping through the pillows and covers. Kenshin was relentless, but the beast was just as aggressive as he was. It stealthily avoided his strikes and just as it was just inches away from him, a knock on the door rang through the room.

The door opened.

"Uhh... Your Highness?" A wide-eyed woman in foreign silks stood by the doorway, hesitant and stunned. It was an amazing sight- the Northern King was standing on his bed with his sword raised, cotton and goose down flying all over the air.

"My name is Masukame, your palace attendant. I came to tell you that, uh, breakfast is ready." She scanned the room, unsure. Her brow raised.

"Did someone attack you?"

Kenshin finally sheathed his sword, seeing that the monster suddenly disappeared. His golden eyes flicked to the corners. Who knows it might just be lurking somewhere, waiting for the perfect timing?

"Your... toad," he said, realizing how ridiculous he probably sounded, "was rather... aggressive."

"Toad?" Masukame raised her other brow.

"Do you keep pets in your dwelling?" Kenshin faltered.

"Pets?" she backed away, looking at him as if he were crazy. Kenshin's eyes were slowly melting back to lavender- he was starting to get embarrassed when the attendant's expression suddenly reflected enlightenment.

"Ah, I see what you're talking about." She suddenly blushed and bowed her head in profuse apology. "Sorry about Lady Kaoru. She's such a hellion, she enjoys the torment she causes in the palace."

"Lady Kaoru?" Kenshin repeated. _What an odd name for a toad._

* * *

When they arrived at the large dining hall, Kenshin was surprised to see only two figures seated at the table. Two petite women- the larger one had a scythe leaned on the back of her chair, and the other one, a smaller woman-child wolfing down her food. When the smaller woman caught sight of him, she quickly gulped down the food she was chewing and stood up.

"Your Highness!" she strode forward, dragging him towards the table and seated him rather forcefully. "Good for you to join us for breakfast! Your general and the others, they're not even awake yet. I'm surprised you recovered that fast."

The other woman leaned back and sipped her wine demurely. "Of course he would. He's not human, you dimwit."

He, Kenshin realized, as he had the voice of a male.

The feminine-looking man suddenly flinched when a piece of utensil came flying towards his direction- the small woman hit her target squarely.

"Hey, that's not the way to talk to your future Queen, Kamatari!" she put her hands on her hips. She turned to Kenshin, her mad face immediately switching to a sweet one. "Formalities aside, pleased to meet you. My name is Misao, royal consort to the Malik, and this booger here is Kamatari,

Lieutenant of the Royal Army."

Kenshin scanned his eyes across the table, studying the people before him. "Misao," he said, "You were one of the warriors who rescued me back in the Northern Mountains." Lavender eyes connected with hers. "Thank you."

The small woman laughed, waving a hand at him. "Don't mention it," she dismissed. "If there's anyone you need to thank, it's probably the Fariq,"

Kenshin's eyes snapped wide. "The Fariq," he echoed. "Where is she? I would like to formally thank her-"

Kamatari shifted from his seat and took a sip of his tea. "You're pushing your luck. The Fariq's identity is to remain hidden to the outsiders," he settled his cup down. "But if we come across her, we'll be happy to mention your gratitude." Kamatari paused. "Only the Malik can summon her presence if needed."

Misao scoffed from beside her. "More like the other way around," she mumbled. Noticing the Northern King's quiet gaze, Misao put up her bright smile.

"Why don't you take a tour around our city for the morning? A little adventure will sure wind you down. Just don't stray from the walls." She threw a small pouch at him, and he caught it, the familiar weight of gold coins sinking into his hands. "Aoshi will join us for lunch later. And I don't see Kaoru anywhere. She might just probably decide to appear with him too, to meet you."

The Northern King's brow met in confusion. "Kaoru?" he said, meeting equally confused gazes, "You mean... Kaoru the _toad_?"

An awkward, heavy silence fell on the room until Kamatari suddenly threw his head back and practically guffawed. Misao had her head on the table, doubled over in laughter, and Kenshin felt an unwanted tinge of red dust on his cheeks.

"Kaoru the Toad!" Kamatari sobbed through his mirth, "Just when I thought I'd seen it all,"

"Oh my..." Misao grimaced as she had a hard time breathing, "Aoshi's gonna flip!"

The Northern King refused to be laughed at. "Am I missing something?"

Kamatari braced himself and let out a series of uncontrolled laughter until he finally found his speech. "Kaoru is the Ameera of the East," he breathed deeply, desperately trying to recover.

"You mean your princess is a toad?"

The room exploded with another bout of painful laughter, and Misao strode forward, clutching her stomach. She grabbed Kenshin by the arm and pushed him out of the room. "There is no toad, there is only the Ameera," she said in between hysterics, "just go... or else you'll end up killing us!"

Misao burst out into unladylike chortles, and she slammed the door shut.

* * *

 _That was embarrassing,_

Kenshin thought as he wandered through the unfamiliar alleys. He should have thought of it, but it escaped his mind. He thought the Ameera was only a legend, but apparently, she was real.

 _She probably has a pet toad which she named after herself._

His hand instinctively hovered over his sword, the only concrete memory he had with his fallen Northern Kingdom. He looked around him, eyes darting around the unfamiliar dusty roads, the foreign people in silks. He squinted as the burn of the sun created ripples in the very air, the heat visibly rising from the ground.

His eyes traveled up, to the towering minarets on the corners of the walls and stepped back. It was a glorious sight- giant blue flames, burning brightly despite the immense heat, vainly rebelling against the light of the sun itself.

It was beautiful, and formidable.

 _What sorcery is this?_

He felt a tug on his sleeve, and he looked down. A little girl with brown eyes was grinning up at him, and instantly his gaze softened. "Hello, mister," she said, "It looks like you're new here. Are you a traveler from one of the galleons?" she pointed to the docks, where giant white sails were fluttering in the wind. "I can tour you around, for spare change."

Kenshin thought about it, and he smiled back.

* * *

She was a decent tour guide. They walked through the town square which held beautiful marble statues which they call _Sanctuary,_ through the residential areas and underground houses that were built to shelter them from the blazing heat, the marketplace, the harbor that opened to the vast ocean of Sha'ra-

There were more to see yet they had limited time, and so the girl decided to bring him to the western wall that held one of the flames.

It was larger than he expected. He looked up- about five times larger than him.

"What is this?" he was spellbound. The blue flame was not emitting any heat, and his eyes widened in alarm when the girl reached out to touch it. "Wait-" he warned, but he halted when he saw the flame reach out to _her,_ like a living soul, and wrapped around her hand as if in warm greeting.

"This is the energy that protects the city of El Qasr," the girl said as she took Kenshin's hand, and carefully led it towards the flame. It flinched when he touched it, but shyly, like a living entity, it inched closer and extended a timid tongue towards him.

It danced around on his hand, and Kenshin reeled in surprise when it suddenly leaped to his forehead and tapped him.

The girl giggled. "She likes you," she said.

"She?"

The girl folded her arms in front of her. "For that story, I charge extra."

The Northern King felt her little hands take his, and they ran down the stone minaret. "Where are you leading me now?" Kenshin asked the little girl. He noticed they were getting to a less populated area, and he looked around, seeing fewer civilians and more uniformed people. They stopped before a large, abandoned dome heavily guarded by magic-wielding soldiers in the corners and the entrance.

"Mister, this is the Old Harem, where my papa said it all began."

She smiled up at him.

"I'll tell you the Legend of Underground El Qasr-

It's about the battle that happened for forty days and forty nights,

between the vicious King of the Ghouls, and the little Ameera of the East."


	8. The Ameera of the East

_**A/N:**_ Oh my! **squeeeee!** finally, cover art is here! Check it out! Thanks to Jen for such an amazing commission! =)

* * *

 _ **The Ameera of the East**_

* * *

"One stormy night, when he was ten and two, Aoshi, the young Amir of the East was spirited away by an unknown abductor, and the palace was immediately on lockdown. They closed the walls of El Qasr, the ports and docks under heavy surveillance.

The King was devastated.

He kept his daughter the Ameera, who was a mere six years old, in solitary confinement."

The girl pulled Kenshin closer to the heavily guarded building, and she cast her gaze to the guards. "My papa was one of the soldiers with her that night. He said she was crying in her room. She had been telling the Malik that she heard her brother Aoshi calling for help. Everyone wouldn't believe her, even if they knew she had the rare ability to speak to the elements. That night, she escaped from the palace.

Papa said they found her up here, by the abandoned Harem. "

The little girl slowly knelt to the ground.

"She stopped here and dropped to her knees. She pressed her ears on the dirt ground, motioning the other soldiers to follow." The girl then proceeded to press her own ears on the dirt, and the Northern King followed. When he did, his eyes widened ever so subtly.

The ground was hollow, and he could hear a thrumming sound, like a torrent of water, from deep underneath.

"Mister, what you hear now is the same energy that is blazing on each corners of the walls. But back then, that energy did not exist. The guards heard something else- it was the cries of the Amir.

They realized the little child Ameera was telling the truth- she heard him, loud and clear from underground, and before they could prevent it, the Ameera bolted into the entrance of the abandoned harem."

The little girl paused. "Now the Harem was notoriously forbidden territory. It held a reputation, for the recent slaughter of the Harem girls. And anyone who dared to look for adventure down there was never heard of again. But the little Ameera entered, with my papa and the other soldiers following closely behind. And who they saw down there left them weak on the knees.

The Ghoul King Rasha was there in all his terrible glory, the Amir was unconscious by the entrance. She rushed to her brother and held him in her arms.

The Ameera courageously demanded the release of her beloved brother's soul. The Ghoul King, who towered twenty feet high above them, smiled at the audacity of the little child who dared to order him around.

The soldiers would have pulled the little Ameera out of danger, but the Ghoul King let out a screech of command and their ears bled, and the army of ghouls charged at them.

A blue flame erupted from the Ameera and it ran through the entire underground, enclosing her and the army of ghouls in a transparent _vacuum barrier_ , locking her out from the reach of the soldiers and safety.

Papa said they could not pass through to get to her, and they feared for the child's life. From behind the impenetrable wall, they saw her draw a circle around her and her brother, and the blue flames around her raged.

Most of the ghouls were consumed by the fire. The Ghoul King Rasha summoned a large-scale plague of flesh-eating locusts that immediately started leaking out of the vacuum she created, making its way up to the city. But witnesses said the blue flame that protected the little child princess ran up to the surface, to the corners of the walls of the city, and enclosed El Qasr in a dome of blue light. There was a soft shower of blue mist, and it countered the Ghoul King's destructive spells.

A black cloud hovered over the entire city, and everyone realized the city was under the seige of the vicious Ghoul King. The people feared, they locked themselves in their houses, the only beacon of hope they had was the blue flames that seemed to protect them from the residues of the battle of wills that started underground.

Mister, my papa told me it was a glorious sight-

They watched helplessly from behind the vacuum, as the battle went on for many nights, the little child Ameera, without any sleep or food, fought against the Ghoul King Rasha for the soul of her beloved Amir.

She summoned massive earthquakes and raging storms, called upon demons from the deepest rifts of hell, meeting the Djinni King with a great level of destruction than anyone had ever witnessed.

The soldiers eventually had to leave, to help with damage control. The surface was receiving residual effects of the battle, and the barrier was filled with thick dust and debris and they could not see what was happening anymore.

The underground seige waged on. Then after the fortieth night, the tremors stopped. The black cloud that hovered over El Qasr dissolved, and what remained were the blue flames.

My papa was one of the first ones to arrive underground, and they found her, the little child Ameera holding a breathing Aoshi in her arms. Exhausted, disheveled and severely malnourished, the little djinni-child had defeated the ancient Ghoul King, and what was left of him were merely ashes.

The people celebrated, for the seige was over. And until now, the same blue energy that protected the Ameera runs like a current in underground El Qasr, the blue flames an eternal promise of protection against such powerful attacks.

The palace wants everyone to believe that the blue energy is a living entity in itself, and it protected the little Ameera in that time of duress. But since it seems like her blue flames trust you, let me tell you a secret, mister.

This is what my papa told me," she leaned forward, and Kenshin bent down to meet her.

"The Ghoul King himself, during the battle, had referred to her as _Lilitu_ the whole time. Not those demon baby-stealers who dared to use the name for themselves to strike fear to non-magic humans.

Rasha had believed that she was the reincarnation of the ancient soul of _Lilith,_ the mother of all Djinn.

Mister, the blue energy is not a separate entity, did not come out to protect the Ameera.

The energy is the Ameera's.

The blue flames you see on the walls is Lady Kaoru's own haula, protecting El Qasr. That is why for those who know the secret, we cherish her identity deeply. She is our greatest treasure, she is our Jewel of the Eastern Desert."

* * *

Kaoru had just come back from border patrol when she caught sight of a familiar red-head walking around the dusty alleyways. Brilliant blue eyes subtly narrowed, and she scoffed at his confident strides. Making sure she was concealed by her plain grey cloak and hood, she headed towards the Dragon Lord.

She suddenly halted, when she saw him hand a few coins to a little girl. He smiled at her kindly as he waved goodbye, and Kaoru's hard look softened.

 _Despite his arrogance,_

 _At least his heart has not been corrupted._

She paused, and she ran a gentle hand through her two beloved scimitars. _Ah,_ w _hat is this odd feeling?_

A soft smile played on her lips as she quietly observed the Northern King. Her hand settled on the hilt, and the curved swords dissolved into red embers of concealment.

Her smile turned into a scheming smirk, as she neared the unsuspecting form of the Northern King.

* * *

He waved goodbye, and the girl gave him a cheerful wave of her own as she ran off into the residential area. "Bye, mister! I hope to see you again sometime, maybe when I'm a little bigger!" a blush dusted on her cheeks and Kenshin couldn't help but smile in amusement.

When she disappeared into the corner, the Northern King's gaze drifted to the blazing sky above him. He shielded his eyes from the glare- The sun was at its highest peak of the day. Kenshin realized it was time to head back to the palace.

He suddenly felt a significant weight being lifted off his hips- and his mind blared in alarm. He spun around and caught a small arm on his grip, but the solid arm burst into red, scorching flames _._

He stared in disbelief at his burned hand.

"Eh?" a small figure concealed in ragged grey cloak exclaimed from beside him. The little thief was holding his sheathed sword _._ "Aren't you supposed to be a Fire Drake?" Kenshin's eyes narrowed, at the girl-thief that somehow knew his identity. "Why do you burn with such petty conflagration? Don't tell me your elemental channels are still locked?"

The Northern King eyed at his sword. "Only high-level magic wielders can unsheath-"

His speech was cut short when the thief easily pulled the heavy blade from the sheath, her eerie blue eyes studying the metal curiously.

"This is a sturdy piece of work you've got here, _foreigner_ ," she said. "And since you're just walking around here so comfortably, with your rare sword displayed for all the world to see, I'm assuming you want to attract some attention?" Her voice never held the tone of a little girl her ragged figure would have led anyone to believe. Instead, it was _teasing_ almost playfully. "And what's with your hair?" she suddenly appeared in front of him and Kenshin winced-

she had plucked a strand of his hair painfully off his head.

"Tsk, not even trying to hide your novelty, _foreigner_? You're practically screaming for thieves to come hither."

Kenshin realized she had a point. He had forgotten, he was a mere visitor to this unfamiliar territory, he would not have wanted to attract such attention to himself. But seeing the sword in the hands of that thief-woman had irked him to no end.

It was his last physical connection to his father.

"My sword," Kenshin mentioned as he stepped forward, but she disappeared again in a poof of smoke, only to reappear by a nearby wall. She was leaning casually, holding the sword up before her eyes, sheathing and unsheathing it.

"Nuh-uh," she shook her head, "Finders Keepers." She looked at him through the concealed shadows of her cloak. "How about I smelt this with the local blacksmith? Is there any valuable metal here?"

Kenshin reached forward when he suddenly froze-

Her tongue darted out from the hood and licked his blade.

He watched her shudder in disgust.

"Steel. I hate steel..." the thief sheathed his sword sharply, the blade creating a snapping sound when it hit the hilt. "But at least it's not iron," she continued to ramble, "Ugghh. It's iron that binds my haula channels." She turned to him and pointed the sword at him. "If you want to kill me easily, iron should always be your metal of choice."

Kenshin's brow shot up. To tell a stranger like him of her weakness so casually left him astounded.

"Please," he stepped forward, "that sword holds sentimental value to me." He finally grabbed hold of the thief's wrist, and he pulled her closer.

The thief stared at him for long moments, until she dropped interest and disappeared again in a poof, reappearing behind him. His sword was already strapped back to his waist.

"I might have misjudged you," she said, shaking her head. "You're too polite. I thought you were an arrogant royal," she mumbled, "Too bad... I like to play rough. Playing with nice guys like you makes my conscience eat me alive."

Kenshin watched, bewildered, as she disappeared into the corner. What he did not see was the smirk that she had plastered underneath her hood, and his pouch of gold coins cradled, hidden in her hands.

* * *

He was halfway through the marketplace, making his way back to the palace when he passed by a crowded stall. "Rare persimmons!" the vendor called out. The people clamored for a bag, and Kenshin had to stop by to observe. The vendor called out to the quiet observer. "Young lad! Don't you want these rare persimmons? They're the Ameera's favorite fruit. Hurry up before it's sold out!"

Before he could move, a hand reached out from behind him, and he spun around. It was the brat thief, nonchalantly taking a bite out of the produce. "How much are these?" she casually asked, taking another bite.

"Two silvers to a pound." the vendor answered, and the brat gasped.

"That's outrageous! Are you charging that for a mere persimmon? I get mine free from my obsessed Suitor in the West... and he sends me cartloads of this stuff in season!" She turned to Kenshin and whispered, "Remind me not to hog all of the fruit when it comes two weeks from now. We'll be giving out free persimmons to the locals."

The vendor cleared his throat. "Yeah, whatever, you peasant. Now pay up. You eat, you pay."

The urchin put her hands on her hips. "My friend's gonna pay for this. He's rich. He's a King! Go ahead, my King friend." she motioned to the dumbfounded Kenshin, and he unwittingly reached for his sleeve for the pouch.

To his horror, it wasn't there.

The vendor had his arms crossed in front of his chest, his feet tapping the ground impatiently. "Well?"

"Uh," Kenshin stammered, "I think I lost my currency-"

"Guards!" The vendor yelled, and large, burly men with scimitars popped up out of nowhere and towered above their leaner figures. "These thieves think they could get away with stealing my produce!"

Kenshin attempted to step forward when a strong grip grabbed his arm, and he felt himself being dragged as the woman thief hightailed her ass off, pulling him with her.

"Why are we escaping?!" Kenshin fretted, his conscience eating him up. Never had he done a fruit robbery in all his life, and when he turned his gaze back to the brat, he noticed her shoulders were shaking as they ran. Kenshin was left speechless. The madwoman was laughing-

she was having fun with the chase!

Kenshin tried to pull her to a halt but an arrow came flying past them, missing him only by inches as it struck a wooden post, and the Northern King spun around to see the guards had multiplied and had their swords and arrows aimed against them. His crazy abductor made a sharp turn to the corner and they entered the livestock market-

Chicken and fowl were flying everywhere from the commotion. The soldiers had spilled a massive cartload of eggs, Kenshin thought he stepped on a huge pile of cow manure, but he did not have time to stop. The brat was maneuvering her way across the chaos expertly as if she had done so a thousand times. They had managed to clear the livestock part and they reached a more decorated part of the town.

They entered into a red-pillared building, and Kenshin's cheeks flushed bright red as he planted his feet on the ground, refusing to go in. "W-wait, I've never been in a brothel before-"

"Well today's your lucky day!" she exclaimed, pulling him in with the strength of ten men. An army of courtesans met their frantic forms. "No thanks, " the brat waved in dismissal as they threaded through the sea of women.

Kenshin resigned to the manipulations of the cloaked madwoman, his head swimming in incredulity. For years and years, his general had tried to convince him to set foot in one of these places.

But this insignificant brat managed to make him do it in one pull!

They reached the third floor and the brat rushed into a room without knocking.

"Oops!" She covered her eyes innocently and they spun around: a couple was in the middle of doing it, and the unfortunate naked victims screamed in shame. Kenshin tried to mutter a million apologies as he slammed the door shut behind them.

She dragged him to the opposite room, and to their relief, it was empty. She shut the door and locked it, her petite form pressing against the wood, eavesdropping on what was happening outside.

"This is ridiculous!" Kenshin decided to take a deep breath as his eyes drifted to the closed balcony, out to the electric blue ocean of Sha'ra. Down below them was the dye market, and the loading docks to the gigantic galleons that bobbed up and down from the sway of the deep ocean.

"Shit," she suddenly said as she pressed her ears harder against the door, "They're headed this way!" she turned to him, "Your red hair is the dead giveaway!" He heard her 'tsk' in annoyance, "Hurry, let's conceal it!" she said, and she took off her cloak.

Kenshin's world came to a screeching halt.

The thief was not a scraggly brat at all- she was a young woman,

a painfully beautiful,

spellbinding woman, looking at about the age of ten and six. She had all the right dips and curves, her unbound black hair spilled past her small waist, and Kenshin could have sworn that tiny thing could fit in the span of his two hands.

Her stunning blue eyes connected with his, as she wore the cloak over his head quickly, concealing his hair.

There was a strong pounding on the door. Her eyes flew open as she scrambled for a plan. "Quick," she formulated, "Act like you're in the throes of passion!"

He almost choked at her words. "Act like I'm _what_?"

Before he could even comprehend, the woman pushed him on the bed and he fell on his back, bouncing on the mattress. She quickly climbed over his form- his eyes grew wide as she pulled a portion of her silk down her shoulder and hiked her skirt up, exposing a tempting expanse of creamy, smooth skin. She quickly mussed her hair and _straddled_ him, her bright blue eyes darkening in conjured lust.

The door was kicked open, and she dipped down, her breath tickling his goosebump-laden skin.

She did not notice the Northern King's eyes flash a reptilian gold as she gave him a fake kiss, blowing a hot breath at the nape of his neck.

His hands unwittingly grabbed the curve of her ass. He ground his hips against hers and she threw her head back and provocatively _moaned,_ the lust-heavy sound teasing something deep in his core. Her back arched seductively, her gaze to the open doorway, glaring at the stunned intruders.

" _Excuse_ me?" she said, "but can't a woman have her pleasure with her man _privately_?"

The soldiers stepped back, their faces flushed with red from extreme embarrassment. The woman again lurched down, and with half-closed eyes, she ghosted her lips so lightly against the Northern King's. His golden eyes zeroed in on her, as his hand snaked underneath the silks of her back, daring to touch her bare skin.

His free hand impatiently yanked her hair down for the anticipated kiss.

The woman stopped, and she again turned to the stunned crowd. They were still there. She cleared her throat, raising a condescending brow.

"S-sorry!" The soldiers bowed in apology as they finally closed the door.

Her blue eyes snapped back to normal, and she bent down and grinned. "Excellent acting! Good job, so realistic!" she giggled happily, giving the dazed Kenshin an innocuous thumbs up as she pulled away, rushing towards the balcony doors.

Kenshin remained silent, because the girl had no idea: in his part, he was not "acting", and she failed to see his eyes were still struggling to melt back to violet, fighting the desire that had consumed his being. He staggered like a drunk as he tried to stand up.

"What's wrong?" she said, when she opened the doors and a gust of ocean wind blasted through.

Kenshin could only stand before her, helpless against the spell she had weaved.

Her flowing silks and her unbound hair flew beautifully against the picturesque backdrop of the blue sky and ocean, the white curtains engulfing her already ethereal form. She reached out to him, offering her hand. "Ah, are you hungry? It's noon, I hope I didn't make you miss your lunch," she said with a genuine concern to her tone. "Let's go," she suddenly exclaimed, and he snapped back to the present as her warm hand enclosed his.

"Go where?" he stiffened, alarmed. She pulled him out to the balcony and jumped on top of the stone parapet.

"Go there!" she pointed down, like a little child excited to get her share of sweets. With her hand holding his, Kenshin stared at the high drop below them. They were three stories from the ground, with only a few tarps lining each floor, and he realized, did she want to slide down the tarps?

"Are you sure about this?" Kenshin asked in disbelief, when she turned to him, and he was immediately disarmed. She was smiling at him brightly.

"No." was her ominous answer, when he suddenly felt gravity leave them.

His heart raced fast as they slid down the third floor flawlessly, but when they reached the second tarp it _ripped,_ and they felt themselves falling hard. Her hand gripped his surprisingly firmly as she grabbed a shirt from a nearby clothesline and they _zipped down,_ knocking all other linens and clothes from the line and she released.

They landed on a pile of dye powder, she ended up straddling him as she was laughing her heart out, her blue eyes sparkling with genuine mirth.

It was a wonderful sight, the impossibly blue sky with clouds floating weightlessly on the air, the giant sails of the ships flapping crisply on the wind,

and the scattered dye powder, creating a kaleidoscope of colors sprayed all around.

But at that moment, the Northern King did not see any of that.

In his eyes, there was only the woman, and the world revolved around her and her only.

Her laughter rang beautifully amidst the port's background noise. She did not notice his violet eyes bleeding back into reptilian gold, the hold to her waist growing dangerously tight.

"Ameera!" A familiar voice called out, and Kenshin stilled. Misao ran up to them with a slew of personal soldiers behind. "There you are!" she exclaimed. "Aoshi is summoning your presence for lunch, he wants you to meet the Northern Ki-" Misao trailed off when she realized the scene in front of her.

A grinning Kaoru was sitting on top of the Northern King himself, and both were messily covered in dye and out of breath.

"Ameera?" Kenshin growled, his voice husky, his eyes never leaving the princess. His arms wrapped around her waist, his claws lengthened and dug into her skin possessively.

"Oh my, what has Kaoru done to you this time!?" Misao bowed on apology, and Kaoru scoffed at her. She leaned over, still grinning, and Kenshin held his breath. She whispered into his ear.

"Don't let meanie Misao catch you, My Lord. She'll punish you with her endless speeches." She pulled away and winked, and Misao stepped forward. The fires on the corners of the walls blazed brightly, and a rain of black and blue feathers filled their vision.

The princess had transformed herself into a beautiful Firebird, and she flew away into the vast blue sky.

"Aren't we going to catch her?" one of the soldiers said.

"Its no use," Misao shook her head. "Trying to catch her will only fuel her whimsy." She turned to Kenshin. "Let's head back to the palace. We're sure to find her there. If there is one being she is exclusively obedient to, it's to her brother."

Misao held her hand out for him to take. "So you met her and survived. Don't worry, though... She does calm down at times, Your Highness. That was Kaoru, our Ameera of the East."

The Northern King stood up, not even bothering to dust his messy silks. His eyes were still teetering from gold to violet, as he picked up a black feather from her wake.

"Kaoru," he articulated, revelling in the taste of her name on his tongue. The Dragon Lord hid a smirk of his own.


	9. Renaissance

_**A/N:**_ As much as I would love to integrate D2 into the story I only used the setting (harem) and part of the name of the king (Rasha), for a couple of main reasons: D2 is freaking complicated, and its been so long and I can't even remember other details of it anymore. I wanted the backstory to be focused simply on the battle between a formidable Ghoul King and a little child.

I listen to music whenever I read or write, too! :) Thanks for the reviews… Really, thank you.

 ** _Italicized bold_** are flashbacks.

* * *

 _ **Renaissance**_

* * *

The moment he entered the throne room the Northern King found himself tackled to the ground in an attack of warm embraces. His page boy Yahiko, and his palace attendant Tsubame were both teary-eyed and wailing, in great relief to see him alive and safe. The palace cook Tae, his retainer Megumi, and even his General Sanosuke stood up to greet him. After a few moments of solemn acknowledgments and genuine sentiments, they settled on the marble floor, quietly waiting for their host. The large room itself was empty.

Sanosuke leaned over to Kenshin and started a conversation. "So what do you think the Malik is like? I was right about the East, wasn't I? They're all about the hocus pocus and vision shit-"

"I wouldn't know." Kenshin answered truthfully. He never was one to make judgment on character, especially now, after the infiltration. And he could never really say anything against their traditions, thinking about the powerful Fariq and her magic-wielding Antishocks. The Northern King fell silent as his thoughts settled on the shameful memory of his arrogance.

More than anything, he thought that the young kingdom was planning to leech off the Northern Reign's fortitude.

"How about the Ameera?" Sanosuke continued, a lascivious sneer slathered on his face.

"You think we could have a sweet drink from the _Eastern well_? From what I've heard with the auxiliaries, she's as hot as the scorching dese-'" before Sanosuke could even finish with his sentence, he flinched.

The Northern King's blade was on his throat, the metal pressing on his skin and drawing blood. "Uhhh, Kenshin?" Sanosuke gulped, as he lifted his eyes to the red-head.

Kenshin's eyes were absolute draconian gold, the flecks of violet scattered like sand in the middle. "Don't even think of _touching_ her," Kenshin snarled.

"Uh…O-okay," Sanosuke muttered, his brows meeting in confusion.

There was a sudden bustle from the double doors, and a group of black-clad warriors entered the throne hall. Their loud, rambunctious voices bounced on the stone pillars.

Kenshin sheathed his sword as the soldiers stopped before him, bowing in acknowledgment. "Your Highness," Misao's familiar voice drifted from the Keffiyeh-concealed figures. "We're here to escort your companions to the great room. Before everything else, the Malik would like to speak to you privately."

Kenshin nodded, his eyes searching for an elusive figure. He did not see her.

"Your Highness?" Misao inquired, from which Kenshin shifted from his position.

"The Fariq, I was expecting to see her with you. All this time I've never met her-"

There was a long silence, until one of the warriors snapped his fingers. "Darn it! I lost!" He cursed, and Kenshin's brows met in puzzlement.

"So who's left are Han'nya, and Aoshi…" another warrior chuckled.

Misao leaned over and whispered to the discomfited Kenshin, "The gang has created a betting pool on _'How long the Northern King is going to figure out who the Fariq really is.'_ "

Kenshin would not have appreciated the humor, but he was too distracted to take anything seriously. Aside from the nine familiar figures was a new addition: a black cat, sitting on the shoulder of the future Queen of the East. It turned towards him.

Stunning blue eyes. Kenshin immediately knew who it was. The cat jumped off Misao's shoulder and rubbed her head on the consort's leg. Misao chuckled in mirth. "Here, something to keep you busy while you wait," and the consort took a persimmon from her pocket and placed it on the marble. The cat happily circled it.

A burly man with a scar across his eye, whom Kenshin already recognized as Shikijo, stepped before them and seized the fruit.

The cat meowed angrily. Shikijo suddenly fell back in shock: blue smoke erupted from his palms, the fruit turned into a horrible wad of worms, squirming in his hands.

The wad fell on the marble with an audible slosh, writhing on the floor.

The whole keffiyeh-clad group exploded in laughter. "Why you little brat-" Shikijo stood from his position and bound towards the cat. The feline sprang away, trotting haughtily with her tail up and darted towards the safest place she could find-

On the Northern King's lap.

"Your Highness, if you can hand me that darn cat-"

"I don't think so," Kenshin tilted his head, a predatory gleam in his eyes. The cat rubbed her head on Kenshin's chest, all the while keeping her eyes glued to the large warrior… _teasingly._

Shikijo stepped back, shaking his head sardonically. "Oh, My Lord, you have no idea what- or rather _who_ that cat is,"

He was suddenly dragged away by a smaller, equally black-concealed figure whom Kenshin figured as Kamatari, judging from the giant scythe slung on his back. "Stop being annoying." Kamatari quipped as he threw Shikijo back to the group, who was already by the large doorway.

Sanosuke and his entourage bowed at him before disappearing at the corner.

The lieutenant turned around, his eyes with a fierce protectiveness through the slit of his keffiyeh. "Just a piece of advice, My Lord." He paused by the ornate doors. "Be careful with her. She's not like the others." With that, he disappeared.

The silence in the great throne room was unnerving, and nothing, absolutely nothing moved.

"Now why the warning? Do you love to play, little kitty?" He purred, scratching the back of her ears. The cat nudged her head against his hands in delight. "Well that's fortunate," Kenshin lurched down, his red hair falling over his shoulders, enclosing the cat in an unlikely trap.

"I love to play, too. But the thing with games is, whether I win or lose…

 _I always get what I want._ "

He ran the back of his fingers down her chin, and stroked her lithe body.

Her eyes visibly widened.

He heard her hiss as she abruptly spun around-

And she dragged her sharp claws on his face.

His blood dripped from his cheeks, and he watched the feisty feline spring away from him. She sat an arm's length apart, her blue eyes locking on his. She extended her claws, and tauntingly, she _licked his blood off her hands._

Kenshin's eyes narrowed as she continued her tease. What she did not realize was, it had been a long secret of him and his family, a source of constant frustration from his late father- that as a Fire Drake, his bodily fluids, when consumed, were poison-

The deadliest concentrations were in his raw blood and his semen.

Seeing the Ameera lick his blood off as if it were nothing escalated his lust into overdrive. His eyes flashed deep amber, and he did not realize, a hypnotizing fire burned in his Draconian eyes.

"Here, kitty… Come and play with me," He reached his hand out, luring her in with the sound of his voice, ensnaring her with the strong magic of his formidable blood.

The cat sat still.

She was transfixed, bewitched at the preternatural spell he had unknowingly spun. Her electric blue eyes looked back at him in a trance, as his enchantment commanded her to come closer. Helpless with the pull of his hex, the cat's limbs finally moved like a controlled marionette, and she inched towards him.

The cat's small tongue darted out to lick his finger. A fanged smirk broke through the Northern King's face. "Good kitty. Now I want you to clean this nasty mess you caused," his smirk broke into a wanton grin, when the cat unwittingly, helplessly, climbed on his lap and braced her paws on his chest,

And the poor victim started licking the blood off his cheeks.

The grand windows rattled, and a gust of ocean wind blew. The cat froze- _she_ froze, as the distraction had caused his spell to be abruptly broken.

Kaoru was back in her human form, straddled intimately on Kenshin's lap. His hands were entangled in her unbound black hair, and he was looking up at her, his eyes half-closed in her sensual intimacy.

Her lips were on his face, her tongue lapping on his skin.

She snapped. His back slammed on the marble floor, and Kaoru angrily wrapped her fingers tightly around his throat. Her lips curved downward in immense distaste, "I admit, I'm quite fond of you, My Lord." Her blue haula stung in surges of lightning around him from her displeasure.

"But do that to me again, and I will _eat you alive_." She snarled.

His pupils dilated, as a fire in his blood suddenly rushed into his head. "My apologies, princess," he yanked her hair, dragging her closer to him, "But at the very least, please allow me…" he reached out, running his thumb across her lips, "To do this…" he trailed off, falling immobile.

The Ameera's grip loosened. She pulled back with a wide-eyed, innocent expression on her face, "Do what?" She tilted her head sideways, befuddled.

And then, the Fire Drake suddenly bared his fangs…and seized her, crushing her into the heat of his body and he _bit her neck._

Kaoru drew back hissing, as it was her blood this time that came dripping down her skin. She glared at the Northern King. "How dare you attack me!" She reached out to scratch his face again but Kenshin caught her wrist, a curious little smirk forming on his face.

"Kaoru," a male voice interrupted, "Are you trying to kill one of our guests again?"

The Ameera disappeared in a poof of smoke, and a little raccoon took her place, as it scurried up the tall man's legs, around his torso, and finally resting on his shoulder. Kenshin looked up, to a figure clad in white silks.

"My apologies, she grew up with barbarians," he sighed, "and she also had a rather unconventional childhood." The raccoon bared her fangs at the white-clad man and attempted to nip at his ears. The young man ran his hands through the rodent's body, and instantly, her pupils dilated, and her ears flattened in immediate submission.

The raccoon bopped her nose on his fingers and proceeded to lick the side of his face playfully. He held his hand up for her to stop. With one last loving lick to his hand, the Ameera yawned and slumped on his shoulder like a bored rug of fur. The man finally turned to the Northern King.

"Pleased to have finally met you. I am Aoshi, the Thirteenth Malik of the East."

* * *

The Malik stood tall, as dull, stoic eyes the exact opposite of his sister's electrifying blue looked down at him with a stance of dominance. "Why are you not on your knees?" He suddenly said, his tall stature and cold blue eyes crushed him with intimidation. "You are in the presence of the Eastern King."

Kenshin stared at the Malik before him, utterly at a loss for words.

"Who are you but a mere nobody?" Aoshi's voice boomed through the large, opulent throne room. "Have you forgotten? You are the king of a fallen house, and someone else has usurped your throne. What makes you think you stand on the same level as me?"

A shame like no other consumed Kenshin, from the ends of his hairs to the tips of his toes. The bitter truth came sinking in, and he recalled, in vivid memory, all that had happened that lead to his downfall. His arrogant pride, the infiltration, the warning.

The headless body of his father.

Something in him reeled, and his vision teetered.

"On your knees, _commoner!_ " Aoshi bellowed. Kenshin's knees shook. He was torn, and hesitant. What was he doing in a place like this? Before a strong king, he was nothing now, a mere shadow of what his Kingdom was. His breath shook in confusion, and his vision continued to blur in frustration. Kenshin stepped back, and he bowed his head.

 _Humiliating. Utterly humiliating…_

He started to bend down.

But then, the Northern King paused. He lifted his gaze and threw a hardened look at the Malik. "I was ousted by a traitor, and not by the people that had entrusted me to the throne." There was a long silence between them. "My late father and the Northern Kingdom, they trusted me to guide them for the last forty years. I will not watch in resignation as they fall back to the house that once oppressed them."

Aoshi's eyes widened ever so slightly as Kenshin straightened his shoulders and held his head up.

"If you are still my ally, I humbly ask for your help to retrieve Kingdom that was wrongfully taken away from me. I have sworn sovereignty and my life to the Northern Lands. I cannot fail them…I ask this as the true Northern King."

Aoshi's hardened look softened. He suddenly sighed and strode towards his throne. The Malik slumped into his chair. "Do you see now, how important alliances are?" The Eastern King tilted his head, "If we were loyal to the Northern Kingdom, we would have easily accepted the new tyrant. But our loyalty runs deep in your house.

It was your late father who established the foundation of our land's friendship. But because of your foolishness, your house has fallen into rubble. What will we do now, Kenshin?" Aoshi stroked the raccoon's fur. "As King of the East, I cannot let you use my resources and wage war against an enemy we barely know. It would be detrimental to my people, and it would lead my fortress to be target to the North's attacks.

Enishi is convinced you are dead.

Do you know what kind of magical entity the House of White Snow used to attack you?"

Kenshin shook his head. "All I know is that they are _arcane_ users," the Northern King recalled, from his two-day torture in his own chambers, one critical detail. "And they held an innate, red flame that seemed to be a part of their nature."

Aoshi turned to the raccoon slumped on his shoulder. "What do you think?"

"An innate red flame, that would leave us with a whole library of entities," the Ameera spoke, her mouth unmoving but her voice as clear as the ocean waves crashing from the shore of Sha'ra. "Shamans, Fire Fae, Imps, Ninetails…the possibilities are endless," she paused, "But the fact that they can use arcane magic, as the Northern King said, it would narrow the entities into three."

"Three?" Both the Northern King and the Malik held their breath at her revelation.

The raccoon nodded her head. "All very rare, all extremely powerful." She vainly adjusted herself on the Malik's shoulders. "Arcane Sorcerer, Ifrit, or Fire Drake."

A long silence impregnated the great throne room.

Then suddenly, a low growl.

A stomach's growl.

The Ameera shifted uncomfortably on Aoshi's shoulder. Her stomach growled shamefully again, begging to be heard. "Do you have more catching up to do? Because I'm hungry. Just so you know it's way past lunchtime, and I didn't have breakfast. So if you both don't mind-"

Aoshi sighed, and Kenshin released a breath he did not realize he was holding. Her unlikely distress signal had _drastically_ de-escalated the tense atmosphere. "You are dismissed." Aoshi said, and the raccoon dropped to the floor and scurried out of the room.

Kenshin's gaze covertly fell on her neck, and the corners of his lips secretly quirked up.

Aoshi cleared his throat, catching the redhead's attention back. "I'm sure you're hungry too. But stay for a while, I have to talk to you about little details in regards to our plan."

* * *

It was nightfall in the desert fortress of the East, and only a few people had roused at such late an hour. Inside the palace, nothing quite stirred. The Northern King was out on his balcony, his long, red hair swaying with the warmth of Sirocco, quietly staring at what was before him.

El Qasr was a beauty itself, especially in the dark of the night when eternal lights of the heavens scattered across the mystic indigo sky. But Kenshin was distracted by the carefree, airy entity before him.

 _ **"Before you say anything, I would like to thank you for providing me a chance to reclaim my kingdom," Kenshin said.**_

 _ **Aoshi's eyes steeled, "Fate has entwined my reign with yours, the day you saved my sister from the guillotine." He answered.**_

 _ **The Northern King's eyes widened ever so subtly, "I do not recall doing such a thing-"**_

 _ **Aoshi shook his head. "But you did. And she may be too proud to say it in your face, but trust me, you will see it by the way she favors you above the rest. And the East, including I, are eternally grateful."**_

"What are you staring at?" The Ameera was standing on the edge of the parapet, and her head tilted yet again in childish curiosity. "Are you seeing something that intrigues you?"

Kenshin strode towards her, stopping just an arm's length before the fearless princess before him. "Yes," He looked up, "What are you?"

 _ **"So as for my plan," The Malik continued, "Until we find the enemy's weakness, we lay low and keep you in concealment. For now I will have Kamatari and Kaoru take turns in watching over you."**_

 _ **"Kaoru?" Kenshin immediately hesitated.**_

The Ameera grinned. "What am I?" She folded her hands in front of her generous chest. "I'm one of a kind," she proclaimed, a mischievous glint flashing in her electric blue eyes. "My Lord, you're not gonna find anyone…or _anything…_ quite like me."

 _ **"Don't be fooled by her nonchalant nature. My sister has lived more lives than both of ours combined. She was abducted by Northern Insurgents when she was ten, all the while deprived of speech and sight. She was subjected to fifteen years of torture in their hands in attempts to make her the ultimate executioner."** _

Kenshin took a step back. Who would have known that carefree being, who moved as if she held the world in her hands, was carrying a heavy burden on her shoulders?

 ** _"When we retrieved her she had to return to the realm of the Djinn. She spent forty years under the direct command of a notorious King and Queen, trying to re-establish the tumultuous and divided Kingdom of Amberistad. And trust me, the wars here are nothing compared to the wars in Qaf. They won, but something tragic happened.  
_**

 ** _So don't be fooled by her smile. Underneath her laid-back attitude is a woman who was forced to navigate unfathomable terrains on her own, and despite all that, survived."_**

A sigh escaped his lips as he stared her face, the moonlight striking her midnight black hair, and his blood tingled at the sight of the seemingly innocuous little bite mark he placed deviously on her neck.

"Are you ready?" The Ammera said as she reached out to the Northern King, and he only stared at her, unable to tear his eyes off. Without another word, the Fire Drake who was notoriously guarded of his trust, reached back and gave his hand to the spellbinding woman before him.

They were engulfed in a cloud of blue and lightning, and when he reopened his eyes, he found himself on the shore of the forbidden part of Sha'ra, in front of a wooden raft that floated on the edge of the waters. The Northern King looked around him and found his surviving entourage. Sanosuke, Megumi, Yahiko, Tae and Tsubame. The Anti-shocks in their concealments were close by.

The Malik approached, handing Kenshin an unsheathed blade. The moment the metal settled on the Northern King's hand it thrummed, and his eyes widened in recognition.

It was one of his father's swords.

Aoshi spoke. "When you were not able to attend my recognition as King, your father sent me this gift. He used this when he fought as an ally beside my father during the final wars of the establishment of El Qasr." The Malik pointed to the raft, and Kenshin strode towards it, and carefully settled the blade in the middle.

Aoshi turned to Kaoru- and she opened her palm, and a red tongue of flame sparked to life on her hand. She blew ever so softly, and the red fire flew like dust in the dim of the starry night.

The sparks caught on the raft, and the wood wildly erupted into flames. The Malik gently pushed the float away, and it drifted into the dark depths of the orphic Sha'ra. The Antishocks bowed low in respect:

And it dawned on the Northern King, what was happening before him was a sea burial-

In honor of his late father who had perished in the hands of a traitor.

And he did not realize how much he needed this… _closure…_ until a torrent of tears came streaking down his lavender-and-gold eyes.

Aoshi stepped forward, "His spirit is watching over us from the heavens, among the company of your ancestors that are counting on you to continue their legacy." They watched in solemn quiet as the pyre drifted away into the dark horizon of the seemingly endless ocean. The Malik left his side, as he reached out for his future queen's hand and they offered a silent prayer to the former King.

A warmth filled his empty side, and Kenshin turned to the familiar presence. It was Kaoru, standing so close beside him, offering her quiet warmth as tears overflowed from his cheeks.

"I know how it is to be betrayed," She said, her message intended for him and only him to hear, "I know how it is to have lost something you fought for so strongly in your life." Her eyes reflected the distant flickers of the fire, "And I know how it feels to lose someone you hold dear in such a painful separation.

That is why, as long as I am still here, I will help you. Know that the East is your strongest ally, we will see you through this. The last words of the King of the Ifrit to me, I pass on to you in hopes that in times of great despair you may never forget:

They may have taken away your keep, but they did not take away your fire.

Don't lose that fire. Kindle it until it becomes a raging flame, until all uncertainty and doubt are obliterated in its wake.

Then come back with an impenetrable vengeance,

And seize what is rightfully yours."


	10. Her Hidden Fortitude

**_A/N:_** This will be a very short chapter, only intended to give you a peek at the mind of Kaoru, and her unusual fondness towards the Northern King. What really is driving her to help him, when she already saved his life in return for hers? It seems like even in her easygoing nature, she trusts him greatly, too.

Nope, too impossibly early for love! Not for _our_ Ameera. It's something else and I hope this chapter clarifies it. :)

For my character choices, mind you this is AU and I'm utilizing them for the best of the story later on. =P

That large _italicized paragraph_ inside the ~0000~ is flashback.

 _*italicized_ * is Kaoru speaking in her thoughts. Thanks for the reviews.

 **Standard disclaimer applies.**

* * *

 ** _Her Hidden Fortitude_**

* * *

 _~0000~_

 _*It's funny…_

 _how I always seem to end up like this,*_

 _The exhausted djinnya stared at her bruised arms, her vision flickering, getting blurrier as the seconds ticked by._

 _*How long have I been laying here?_

 _Stuck in a strange place, lost in this strange dimension…_

 _Ah… my dear Aoshi._

 _Looks like I can't keep the promise I made._

 _I am… deeply sorry.*_

 _As the heavy downpour pounded on her helpless form, she recalled, and it seemed like such a long time ago, this had happened before. When she made her escape from her captors back in the North, she was running blind and mute with no direction._

 _Right now, it seemed like deja vu._

 _The moment she stepped into Qaf, the very atmosphere of the dimension was so heavily laden with magic that it overtook her entire being. The air was thick and unbearable, even until now she felt as if she was submerged underwater._

 _Every minute in Djinnistan, she was suffocating._

 _She followed her mother's directions and sought for Shadukam. It was a five-year journey through the Desert of the Demons itself, and how she managed to survive with meager surface haula she couldn't even comprehend._

 _In the back of her mind, she felt that it was her stubbornness that kept her alive._

 _Shadukam turned out to be a lost cause-_

 _Her mother's allies, whoever they were, had been wiped out, as the new King of Amberistad had ousted their rule from the throne. And so she was considered one of the enemies._

 _The vicious cycle of captivity and torture happened all over again, but this time the goal was not to make her into the ultimate human assassin: this time, it was to crush her soul and extract her haula._

 _Kaoru had counted the oddly familiar number of years: fifteen._

 _Fifteen years of painful torture in the hands of her djinn captors._

 _And as they transported her from Shadukam to the main city of Amberistad, desert bandits plundered their caravan. That gave her the chance to escape, only to end up miles and miles away from her standpoint, alone and dying._

 _*Just like before._

 _Why does it seem like I always end up like this…*_

 _Her teeth grit and she licked her bruised lips. She tried to shift, but every muscle movement brought a horrible pain, her bones were aching, her spirit crushed. Here she was again, lying on a dirt road at the borders of a forest terra, slowly dying as rain trickled down her already numbed skin._

 _Perhaps a carriage would come across her and run over her, just like before? Then they would take her to a hidden execution town where she will be beheaded, she thought sarcastically._

 _*And then... maybe… a red-haired King will come to my rescue.*_

 _The exhausted djinnya closed her eyes, as tears streaked down her dirtied cheeks. She transported herself back to the memory of that day, when the Northern King appeared like wildfire in the middle of the blinding white snowstorm._

 _He will never know it, but she would never forget him- because ever since that day, the Northern King's image in the storm reminded her that as long as she still lived, there was a flame of chance that burned even in the most desperate of times._

 _He had become her symbol of fortitude._

 _And immediately, a flicker of hope sparked within her._

 _*I have to thank him,_

 _I have to get back to Aoshi and El Qasr. I can't die like this,_

 _Not like this…*_

 _Her Marid haula, the one that had sealed itself shut since her captors tried to extract her soul, slowly flowed out of her, and it erupted, burning wildly in her blue eyes. For some reason, it showed to her two unknown people: a man covered in bandages, and a woman standing close by him._

 _Their innate red flames screamed danger- she recognized they were Ifrit, the same clan that held her captive. But her energy called out to them._

 _Her ancient haula embraced her in a new warmth, as if her mother was comforting her from another realm, reassuring her that everything will be alright. It was summoning these unknown djinns, why and how she did not know._

 _And before she knew it, they had materialized in front of her._

 _Underneath the heavy downpour, the woman was staring at her. She covered her mouth in disbelief, "This can't be…" Her eyes darted to the stunned man beside her, "Shishio… This can't be…"_

 _The woman fell on her knees as she hastily supported Kaoru up, and the bruised djinnya could only lean on the woman as she held her in her embrace. "I know this haula… she's the only one who has this, Shishio… it's Faridah!" The woman sobbed, "You're alive… I can't believe this… you're alive!" She shook her head as she pulled away, still crying. The man in bandages knelt beside her, and the woman gave way as he engulfed Kaoru tightly in his arms._

 _"_ _Faridah," he held her so tight Kaoru thought she could not breathe, and it reminded her so much of her Aoshi, and how he held her when he found her in the Northern Mountains. The man, Shishio, was rocking her back and forth, kissing her forehead with such familiar tenderness it tore her heart out, his tears streaking down his face unrestrained. "Faridah, It's me… little sister, don't you recognize me?!"_

 _Shishio desperately pulled away, as he cradled her face gently in his hands. "Is something hurting?! You have bruises all over…" His teeth clenched in restraint and his scarlet eyes burned with his innate red fire. "They're going to pay for this… I swear, Yumi, we'll retrieve the throne and they're going to pay for this!"_

 _His malicious rage was unlike any other, and it alarmed Kaoru._

 _His fire was stronger than any other Ifrit she had encountered._

 _She lifted her gaze, and their eyes met. And he paused, as his eyes grew wide with realization. "Your eyes… they are… bluer," Shishio trailed off. And Kaoru could see the heartbreak in his expression as he held his breath for quite a long time._

 _To her shock, he crushed her in his arms. "You're not my little sister," he said quietly, and Kaoru shook her head. She felt another warmth engulf her. The woman, Yumi, had joined in, wrapping her in one more embrace._

 _"_ _But you are what she left behind in this world," Yumi said, and she felt Shishio hold her tighter as she spoke. "You are her legacy…_

 _And so we will cherish you all the more."_

 _Underneath the torrential downpour, sheltered beneath the cold, gloomy sky, the man and woman held her as if they were never letting go. "What is your name?" He finally asked._

 _"_ _Kaoru," she answered, and he stroked her matted hair._

 _"_ _Kaoru," he stated,_

 _"_ _Welcome home."_

 _~0000~_

She woke up all too early again, at the bottom of the night when a million stars were still scattered across the night sky. Kaoru laid quietly on her bed, allowing the fall of her tears to run down her cheeks. It was at times like these when she was alone, and everything in the world was still, that she couldn't help but remember.

Forty unforgettable years in Djinnistan.

The soul-crushing, impossibly difficult journey to retrieve Amberistad's throne, the collected elation when they finally won,

And the tragic ending that had no real closure.

Her hands drifted to the two scimitars beside her, and she held the swords close to her heart, clinging desperately to her most treasured possession.

 _*What happened to us back then, in Amberistad, I will do everything in my power not to let it happen to Aoshi and Misao, not to the city of El Qasr,_

 _Not even to the Northern King:_

 _The Fire Drake will never know it,_

 _because I will never tell…_

 _that the memory of that day we first met is forever imprinted in my mind, it has helped me rekindle my courage in countless times of adversity._

 _I look up to him, the same way I look up to Aoshi… the same way I look up to both of you. For all that I've been through, I have created a fortress with the four of you as my pillars. Now that he needs my help, I cannot just leave him alone. I will see this through until the very end._

 _My Shishio, dearest Yumi, If I am able to do this,_

 _Then it would mean that I am ready to fulfill the promise I made to both of you_

 _the day when the sky rained blood.*_

The djinni warrior curled up into fetal position and covered her mouth with her hands, trying to stifle her moans of heartbreak. She would have to cry her heart out, just like most of the nights, until the dark sky would slowly succumb to the light of the day.

And no one will ever know. But this time she had to be very careful, now that the Northern King was in their abode. He was not human after all, and he might sense her tears.

 _*Did you know… that the wind cried with me that day,_

 _When you turned into ashes in my very hands?_

 _And until now, it still cries with me whenever I remember.*_

As horrible as it may sound, she was already used to sleepless, tormented nights.

And she did not mind at all.

And so the girl cried all her grief and sorrow quietly in her bed for the rest of the night. As she watched from her open balcony, the first peek of twilight and the receding stars.

The Ameera stood up and greeted the fierce shooting rays of orange that streaked the violet sky. She stared at the approaching sunrise, and she breathed.

 _*Mother… father,_

 _I am growing stronger every day._

 _Shishio, Yumi…_

 _I hope you are proud of me.*_

The Ameera wiped the tears away from her cheeks, and she smiled.

It was the start of another beautiful day…

Another day of beginnings.

 _****._


	11. Innate Fire

**_Innate Fire_**

* * *

The Northern King covered his mouth to stifle a hearty yawn.

"Don't tell me you haven't slept again through the night?" His escort scoffed, and Kenshin turned to the effeminate, scythe-wielding man beside him. Kamatari was throwing him a sidelong glare. "Geez, what the heck do you do that would keep you awake? Are Fire Drakes supposed to be nocturnal or something?" He huffed.

Kenshin gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, it seems that my exhaustion is bothering you,"

"Oh yes, it does. Aoshi has been chastising me nonstop since I took post in watching over you. He believes I'm annoying you to death, talking your ears off and doing random things to drain your energy. Now, why the hell would I do that?!" He paused as they continued strolling the grounds. "Maybe I should also start guarding you at night,"

Kenshin cast his head down, "Ah, I apologize for causing you unrest. But there's no need to do that…"

Kamatari eyed at him with suspicion.

"I can't be too complacent with you, my Lord. You're very much like the Ameera too, in terms of unpredictability. Although Kaoru is painfully direct that it drives me crazy, you on the other hand… hide beneath a polite facade. I can never read your next move,"

The Northern King already lost track of the conversation, on the mention of her name. "She does… drive people crazy," he echoed, remembering his third morning in the palace. He woke up with a familiar ugly-ass toad on his chest, and thinking she was playing the same trick on him, he seized the toad in his hands and stroked her rather _sensually_.

She oozed thick slime, coating his hands with her liquid. "Do you like that, little toad?" He whispered huskily, until something shifted from the doors to his room. He immediately froze, when he recognized the figure.

It was the Ameera, standing by the doorway, stunned and slackjawed at the sight of him, and it was then that he realized he was fondling a real fucking _toad_.

Her electric blue eyes exploded in mirth, and his lovely tormentor walked away from the room, howling with laughter.

Kamatari's sigh brought him back to the present. "My week is done, once she steps into these doors." He sighed in relief. It would be Kaoru's turn to watch over the Northern King. Although it had been a pleasure accompanying him, he was not used to tailing other people around. Kaoru, on the other hand, was good at trolling. Maybe she would focus her attention on the king and wreak less havoc on her poor friends?

Wishful thinking.

The entrance to the palace doors opened, and in entered the Ameera, clothed in fine womanly silks, a grin plastered on her face. She launched herself towards Kamatari and tackled him on the floor to a hug, her laughter reverberating throughout the hall.

"Calm down, Tanuki. You're acting as if we haven't seen each other for ages." Her lieutenant sighed in feigned annoyance, but a smile escaped his lips. She had only been gone for a whole day,

"Ah, but I missed you!" Kaoru exclaimed, her contagious cheerfulness radiating through. "You were always my companion whenever we make weekly visits to that old General. I had Misao with me today, and I heard nothing but sighs and rhetorics of how great my brother is,"

The Ameera paused when she felt a familiar presence looming behind her. Giving Kamatari a fond kiss on the forehead, she straightened her clothing and stood up, turning towards that presence.

She looked up and smiled, as she nodded her acknowledgment. "My Lord, a pleasure to see you today."

Kenshin looked down at her, his gaze intense on the woman. "The pleasure is all mine," his hand twitched in restraint.

"Oh, before the sun sets, we'll be off to a private treasure party. Han'nya found a trove in the Valley of the Ghouls… It would only be him, me, Misao, Kamatari," Kaoru leaned close into Kenshin. "The others are not invited, but you are. Would you care to join us, My Lord?"

Goosebumps rode under his silks, as her breath tickled his ears. With her so close, his eyes settled on the bite mark on her neck, the one he created five days ago.

His lips quirked upward in a devious smile, seeing that it had never healed.

"Of course."

* * *

The quiet was too dominant it left their ears ringing.

Kamatari squinted in difficulty: halfway through the cave it became so dark he worried he'd become blind. And there they were, hiding behind a rock, having no idea what lay in the void before them. "Have you scouted the area?" He turned to an equally cautious Han'nya.

"Why would I? It would take out the fun," he answered, and a chuckle from the Ameera rose from beside the masked warrior.

"You could have at least mapped out our course-" the lieutenant argued.

"Shut up, you two!" Misao whispered seethingly, "The last time you bickered in a place like this it almost cost me my head-"

"Hush," Kaoru's whisper drifted between the bickering, "I'll lend you my sight." Red smoke arose from their feet, and it crept up on their legs like illuminated roots, curling upwards, binding their hands until it reached their face.

Kenshin looked beside him, only to find the others beside him unperturbed.

The roots rushed into his eyes.

He gasped when a suffocating feeling strangled in his throat. "Relax," the Ameera's soothing voice crooned, "I have possessed you with a sliver of my haula, but I did not take control of your free will…"

"Trust her," Misao whispered from beside him, and Kenshin breathed. He opened his eyes, and he had to blink.

"I will not know what you see," Kaoru said, "because I don't know how your energies react to mine. But it will be enough to get you through the darkness."

Kenshin's lavender eyes focused on her, and he held his breath. The Ameera… she looked… ethereal. Sharp fangs pierced the side of her plush lips. Her exposed skin, the one not hidden by the layers and layers of clothing, was illuminated by little tendrils of light, markings of red and blue, alive and rushing underneath her skin.

He then realized: she held two flames.

And she was oozing so much power that the very atmosphere reacted to her movement, the air reverberated its reverence.

It was her haula, and he was only able to see it because it was amplified by his own energy. And he looked down his arms, and he saw a crimson channel, moving much like the Ameera's.

But it did not spark out like hers, it only stayed in him, and he recalled his first meeting with her, when she burned him with her red flame: _"Don't tell me your elemental channels are still locked?"_

Her blue eyes were a stunning electric in the darkness, as she pointed before him. There was a giant figure, sedentary in the middle of a mesa.

"Karkadann," Han'nya announced, and he turned to Kenshin. "The Ameera's vision has been distributed to the five of us, so it is compromised. My Lord, try to use your Draconian vision. Do you see where it is hiding the treasure?"

Kenshin squinted, and his eyes flashed gold. The moment he released his ancient energy, he felt the heat of the Ameera's haula coursing in his veins, and it awoke a terrible… _craving_ in his blood. He did notice his fangs growing, he had to bite his lips to restrain himself.

Her possession left him floating in an indescribable ecstasy, and he felt so fucking _invaded_ his lips parted in euphoric rapture.

"What's wrong?" Kaoru's voice drifted closer, as she leaned from behind him and her hand rested on his shoulder in concern.

He had realized, the beast inside him stirred like never before. Kenshin reeled, like a drunk struggling to hang on to dear sanity. "I don't like this…" his golden gaze settled helplessly to the djinnya in front of him,"I don't like this at all…"

The Ameera tilted her head sideways in innocent confusion.

Kamatari suddenly cleared his throat, "My Lord, the treasure?"

The hand slid away from him, and her body pulled away. The intoxicated King tried to focus, fighting against her addicting possession. And then he pointed to the most unusual place. "I see it… buried underneath its pile of excrement."

Kamatari chuckled. "Selfish little prick," he turned to Misao. "You lure and subdue it, we tie it down… and then put our _marker_ in."

A period of silence.

"Misao?" Kamatari turned and found the consort unusually quiet. All eyes turned to her, and Misao cast her head down, blushing. "What's wrong?"

"Can you let Kaoru be our bait this time?" She said, drawing lines on the dirt. "You see…" Misao finally followed, albeit shyly, "I'm not qualified anymore."

A longer period of silence, until Kaoru gasped softly. "Since when?"

"Since… last night."

The small woman found herself tackled to the ground in an assault of embraces, Kamatari and Kaoru both squeezing her form, the three wriggling like worms tied to each other on the ground.

"You sneaky little booger!" Kamatari painfully ruffled her hair.

Han'nya cleared his throat, and the three turned towards the man. "Save that for later. Ameera, if you could please,"

Kaoru nodded and pulled away from Misao. "Of course," she said, holding a coy grin. "Everyone… have fun." She winked. Red smoke swirled from her feet, and she slowly dissolved into mist.

She reappeared, rising from red embers and flame… right in the middle of the steppe, smack in front of the towering Karkadann.

And everything was still.

* * *

Kenshin watched in awe, spellbound as tendrils of red flame cradled her form, swirling around her like a living fire, caressing her like a fiery lover. The Ameera slowly extended a hand towards the volatile colossus.

"Just what… are the 'qualifications' to subdue such a beast?" He asked offhandedly.

Han'nya shifted, his eyes never leaving the princess. "It's the Eastern counterpart to the Unicorns you have on the North."

Kamatari huffed from beside him. "Virgins." He answered. "Karkadanns can be subdued by virgins."

Her hand touched the gigantic Karkadann and she _sighed_ , and the beast's front legs knelt in submission. The moment it did, Kamatari and Han'nya bolted from their positions. Misao grabbed Kenshin's hand and he was pulled out of his spot, out into the open.

"We have to haste," she exclaimed, "we only have a one-minute window!"

They ran across the rocky steppes, past the Ameera, into the territory of the towering beast. Han'nya disappeared from plain sight and Kamatari brandished his scythe, as five smaller figures charged at them, emerging from the darkness.

Wild panthers, with sabertooth-like projections, growled in warning as they struck in ambush, and bright white projectiles zipped past the running Kenshin's path.

He turned beside him, Misao had infused holy magic into her daggers and she flung it towards the head of a panther, who had just jumped right in front of Kenshin's line of sight.

"Be careful," Misao warned, "They like to hide their energy signatures."

She disappeared from his sight, and Kenshin brandished his own sword and parried. The open jaws of another black beast had almost bit off his face, and he gathered his strength and pushed, knocking the panther's balance off. With one swift strike, he drove his sword into the skull of the beast.

He pulled his blade out and advanced forward, evading another panther that had just tried to maul him from the side.

Kenshin stepped into the hills of excrement and grimaced in vain, when a smiling Kamatari caught up beside him.

"Our minute is over," he said as he sped forward, and Kenshin felt the ground shake beneath his feet. He turned behind him and his eyes widened ever so subtly.

The gigantic Karkadann was charging towards them. For being such a colossal entity it moved so fast, and the next thing he knew, it was right in front of him, screaming at his face.

He drew his sword. But before he could even strike, the world around him significantly dimmed. The Ameera had dropped her possession. Ribbons of scarlet came shooting out of nowhere, seizing the beast's limbs. His line of vision lost focus solely on the Karkadann, as he realized a familiar figure was standing behind the writhing beast.

The Ameera's feet dragged on the ground, her monstrous strength restraining the twenty-foot colossus. "Hurry!" Her teeth clenched from the sheer force she was exhausting, her hands were bruising from the merciless pull.

The binds were fraying and ripping. Kenshin snapped towards the three warriors who were in the middle of the pile of gigantic poop. They were beating their weapons against a protective crystalline seal that held the treasure chest. It refused to break.

The Northern King strode forward and struck., and the crystal barrier shattered.

"The Marker!" The Ameera's muscles bunched as her binding haula started snapping and ripping. "I'm releasing!" She announced, and she let go.

The Karkadann broke free and thundered towards them. Misao took a magic seal, one with the symbol of two crossing scimitars, and slapped it on the open treasure chest.

It illuminated in the dim, and Kenshin realized that this was the Marker they had been talking about. Everything had been a game for the daredevil group. They were not to take the treasure itself;

They were to show that they were the first to conquer the challenge.

The Karkadann screeched, and they felt as if their ears bled. Around him, his companions had been disappearing, one by one, through a burst of blue mist.

And when the monster was a mere inches from the Northern King, he felt soft hands snake around his waist. And a sudden burst of blue mist swallowed him whole, and he realized he was falling.

* * *

He landed painfully on his back on opulent marble floors, a significant weight on his body. He looked around and found that he was back in the palace hall. Misao, Kamatari, and Han'nya were scattered around him, equally dazed from the sudden teleport.

Kamatari bellowed in laughter. He raised his palms and Misao, who was beside him, smirked, as she reached out and smacked his hand, giving him a high-five. Han'nya leaned on the wall from relief. The weight on Kenshin's body started to _shake._

His gaze drifted to the body on top of him. It was Kaoru, laughing and giddy, her breathing heavy in exhaustion. She lifted herself and braced her arms on the sides, and she leaned down. Her hair fell from her shoulders, enclosing both of them in an unlikely curtain of silky black, isolating them from the world.

"That was delightful," she crooned, "My Lord, you are absolutely… intriguing, " she grinned, and Kenshin's golden eyes zeroed in on her yet again.

"You are equally fascinating," he rasped, unable to help himself from her pull. With her face so close, and her body pressed against his, his hands traveled around her waist- "Kaoru."

Her eyes widened subtly as his hands tightened, and to her confusion, he yanked her hair towards him.

But someone came tumbling towards them, breaking the two apart.

The small cannonball was Misao, tackling Kaoru to the floor. "That was so fun!" The future queen of El Qasr said in between laughs. The Ameera merely blinked, and after a few moments, she laughed. She scooped a dollop of poop on her person and smeared it on Misao's face.

The tall form of Aoshi strode into the hall, the stink hitting him immediately like a ton of bricks. "What the hell is going on?!"

* * *

The djinnya stepped out of the balcony and reappeared at the edge of the elevation. It was a full moon, she realized. She scanned the vast blue ocean of Sha'ra, her eyes gravitating towards the abnormal swirls that served as a gateway to another realm. She breathed in, and she closed her eyes.

 ** _Elation… Euphoria. Finally, after twenty years of war, the depredations and mass slaughter… the moment was finally before her._**

 ** _His recognition to the throne._**

 ** _Her Shishio,_**

 ** _Rightful King of Amberistad, strongest of the Ifrit._**

 ** _She felt an overflow of tears run down her cheeks… everything they had been through, a_** ** _ll the friends they had lost, s_** ** _he did not regret the blood that spilled on her hands as she fought beside him. All to reclaim their honor, all to take back what was rightfully theirs in this dangerous realm._**

 ** _But as her cries of fulfillment ran unceasing, so did little drops of heavy liquid trickle on her face. She touched her cheek, curious. And as she presented her hand before her eyes, her breath hitched._**

 ** _Mesmerized, she looked up… from where the little pitter-patters of scarlet was falling, and she watched in a trance, unable to connect, unable to comprehend._**

 ** _The sky was raining sanguine._**

 ** _The little trickle evolved into a torrential downpour, and she found herself drenched in blood. A bloodcurdling scream reverberated through the stunned crowd, and the djinniya froze._**

The Ameera strode towards the ocean, and she burst into a run. The winds carried her feet as she jumped off the edge, and she plunged into the hundred foot drop, into the crashing ocean below. A familiar chaotic current, drumming in her ears, drowned her very being. A swirl of blue energy wrapped her in a protective embrace, warding off the leviathans of the deep that started to congress towards her, attracted by her flesh, threatened by her power.

She drifted into the dark, abysmal depths, breathing in the suffocating waters, trusting that she will never drown. She opened her eyes, and she found herself floating in a familiar darkness.

She looked like a pinpoint of blue flame, as colossal monsters of the deep circled around her drifting form.

 ** _"_** ** _I promise," she knelt before her Shishio, crying her heart out, "I promise to come back and avenge you-"_**

 ** _He reached out his weakened hand to touch her face, and she felt as if heaven and earth had slammed her in between. He was crumbling into ashes, and she screamed in agonizing heartbreak, but her screams were being drowned by the slaughter around her._**

 ** _"_** ** _I forbid you to come back," Shishio rasped, "My fire, the one that has left my body and is now a part of your haula- will make sure you never enter Qaf. Until that third fire courses in your veins, you will not set foot in Djinnistan! Do you understand?!"_**

She reached out, her soul in a deep, longing prayer, to the gates of the Emerald Mountains. But as she did, her blue haula suddenly cowered. A red flame erupted from her energy channels. Still underwater the red energy swallowed her blue, and it crept like tendrils of flame around her limbs, immobilizing her.

She could not move, she was paralyzed by her own second haula. The red innate flame, her Shishio's flame that was bequeathed to her the day the sky rained blood, pulled her away from the gates of Qaf, away from the realm of Djinnistan. And Kaoru couldn't help but cry in frustration.

She found herself at the shore of Sha'ra, drenched and miserable, unable to hold the frustration back from her eyes. She struggled to get up to all fours, and she gathered the sand underneath her hands.

 ** _"_** ** _Someday, when all of this is over, I will find my greatest love… just like how you found yours with Shishio," Kaoru once said, during happier times._**

 ** _Yumi smiled as she embraced a sleeping Shishio, her red eyes reflecting the fire's glow before them. "You will," Yumi sighed, and her gaze connected to hers. "He never told you this, because he wants to keep you longer by his side," the Ifrit djinniya chuckled, "But he was given a vision. You were standing in front of three flames: in the form of a blue mirror, a scarlet sword and a crimson shield…_**

 ** _My sweet Kaoru, I do think…the first fire, the mirror, is a direct reflection of your Marid power. The second one is your sword, who will fight for you when your will falters, and the third will be your shield, one to protect you when everything else fails."_**

 ** _"_** ** _Eh?" Kaoru drew back, "What has that got to do with me finding my greatest love?"_**

 ** _Yumi smiled. "The first fire is your Marid haula, the second fire is Shishio's Ifrit flame, and the third one… might belong to your destined lover,"_**

The Ameera chuckled at such a ridiculous notion. Yumi was more than credible… she was the one who taught her to read dreams and interpret impossibly complicated visions. But the thought of relying on a lover left a bad taste in her mouth, and that very vision was what was keeping her from returning to Qaf.

She did not need a lover. She was still bound by the chains of grief from what happened in Amberistad, how much more debilitating would it be if she was bound by a love she held greater than her life?

What if she lost that love?

She would crumble into ashes, after being burned alive by her own raging flame… just like what happened with her Shishio, when Yumi dissolved into dust in his arms.

Kaoru roughly wiped her tears at the back of her hand.

She did not need anything like that. And she had to be very careful, because lately, she realized… there was a certain red-haired entity she could not keep her hands off of.

She gathered her strength and transported herself back to her room to retire for the night. What she did not know, that there was a quiet presence that had just settled in her balcony, concealed in the shadows and to stay, such as it did the first night he set foot on El Qasr.

* * *

Like a dragon protecting his keep, the Fire Drake was there, standing guard possessively by the Ameera's doors. The clutch to his sword tightened as the scent of her tears drifted in the air, and he restrained himself from entering her room.

 ** _"_** ** _And to think you would be at a woman's feet in a mere few days," Sanosuke said._**

The Fire Drake stood still, his palms splayed at her door. He was drowning in confusion, he did not like this feeling of helplessness. He never liked this feeling of having no control.

 ** _Kenshin's jaw clenched in frustration. "For the first time in my existence, I have never felt such fear,"_**

He knew there was no escaping his immense attraction, and his blood called out to her with such intensity it was impossible to ignore.

 ** _"_** ** _I don't like this…" he trailed off, "I don't like this at all,"_**

He knew better than to fight his dominant blood's call.

And this debilitating fear that would consume him… for her possible rejection,

For her safety when she was not by his side, for everything about her…

 ** _"_** ** _Is that why you marked her?" Sanosuke smirked. "You are aware… that you did that against her knowledge… against her will,"_**

 ** _"_** ** _I don't care." Kenshin's eyes flashed gold. "She will have to accept me… I am worthy, and she is the only one. No one else will do anymore." His gaze connected to the general's. "She has no choice."_**

His courting mark… it was supposed to protect her from harm whenever he was not beside her. And a second, deeper mark was what he needed: a permanent _mating mark_ he would have to create during sexual intercourse.

But that would have to wait. He was patient, he knew she would be a hard fight. He will need to take back the Northern Throne, to prove to her that he was more than capable, and he had everything to offer.

But before everything else, he had to find a way to channel and control his innate fire.


	12. The Western Alliance

**_A/N:_** I'm sorry! It seems I'm having trouble with the site right now. But here you go... hope I got this right.

* * *

 ** _The Western Alliance_**

* * *

 _-Noslau Citadel,_

 _Capital City of the West-_

"It is unfortunate," the old man's restrained whisper barely contained the emotions that threatened to break loose from his voice, "most unfortunate."

He brought the light of the small lamp to his face, wrinkled and weathered away by time. Yet his hands were uncannily steady, and it held the unmistakable scarlet splatter of the enemies he had to hack through to reach his destination.

The axe strapped on his hip was still dripping the sanguine liquid, and it was pooling at his feet. He tried to regulate his breaths, no one else was to know about this meeting.

Absolutely no one.

A cloaked figure shifted from the other side of the darkness. "Who did you manage to rescue?"

"The king's two daughters."

The younger man's breath trembled. "How about the heir?"

A long silence drifted between them both, and after tense moments, the young man could not hold his patience any longer. "General Gensai. How about the heir?"

The older man shook his head. "It is unfortunate," the General of the West repeated, "Most unfortunate." With bloodied hands he reached out and handed the cloaked man a glowing orb. "Before the infiltrators locked down the fortress, we managed to extract the two girls out of the castle. We used body doubles, and so the Northern King was led to believe that the whole family is dead." He leaned closer, his jaw clenched in sheer tension, "The little girls are in the underground hideout, in the outskirts of the forest. They are safe there for now, but it won't be long before the _Arcane_ users figure out the cloaking barrier."

"General-" the younger man stepped back in horror. Blood was dripping out of the old general's eyes.

"The poison is spreading into my system, I don't have much time left." Gensai said, handing to him the small container. "Saito. I want you to reach out to our allies. If not to go against this siege, then to at least shelter and hide what's left of the Western House."

"The princesses," Saito whispered in understanding, receiving the small orb and hiding it in his sleeve.

"You are the last of my elite, and the only one capable of sending this message undetected. Take the orb to the Port of Kaivos." The old man clutched his chest as he restrained a violent bout of coughing. "All I need you to do is to fling this to the ground when Sirocco passes by. It will send a distress signal to our allies. This is the fastest possible relay: it will be enough to be seen at the seas of Ariman-"

"But Ariman is a Southern territory, we don't have allies in the South-"

"We have: The Kingdom of the East. They planted infiltrators there," Gensai said, "They have spies: internal, converted, expendables… scattered in almost all continents save for the North, where the Dragon King is."

Saito's hackles stood. "When did this happen-"

Gensai chuckled, "A mere five years ago, when their new Fariq took command."

Saito stood in the dim, stunned. "Who is this… new Fariq…" he trailed off, trembling at the thought of such ruthless strategy-

Gensai shifted. "And that is why I had to convince the Western King… to strengthen our allegiance with the East as much as we can. They are a mysterious, powerful lot. And they will be our last hope."

A loud explosion resounded in the distance, illuminating the dark alleyway they were hidden at. When darkness flooded the moment again, screams of anguish filled the air. Soldiers yelling, clashes of metal, and Gensai brought his gaze to the open grounds.

A burning western flag, and a new one standing intact on its place: The Flag of the North.

"I knew this would happen." Saito said, "The Northern Territories kept to themselves too much, something would have been brewing in the schemes of that ruthless Dragon Lord." He looked at the general.

Gensai's eyes were fixated on the Northern Flag, "Saito, I do recall… the last time I saw their flag…

it held different colors. I have a suspicion,

something is not right about the House of the Red Dragon."

Gensai finally brought his gaze back. "Once you have sent the distress signal, go straight to the hideout. They will come. Our allies will come. But as you wait, I need you to stay alive as long as possible. You understand me?" He shoved the younger man away and he fell on his knees, hacking his lungs out, bright patches of red glistening in the dirt.

"General- "

"Go." Gensai commanded, hearing the screams coming nearer, "You're the only one who can carry this out now, I'm sorry I have to risk your life for this."

"I can't just leave you here-"

"Go." The old man yelled,

"But General,"

"I said GO!" Gensai finally yelled, and men in horses suddenly appeared by the open of the alleyway. One of the soldiers raised his hand and hurled a javelin towards them.

It pierced through the old man's chest, impaling him to the dirt ground.

The younger man reeled in horror. "Father-"

"There's one more!" one of the soldiers said, and the cloak-concealed figure of Saito started a mad run out of the other open end. What met him outside was total chaos.

The entire Western Citadel was on fire. Screams of children and women, trapped in burning houses, bodies of slaughtered men littered on the dirt, the western flags decimated and burned. Saito looked back at the castle on top of the hill-

The once proud, gigantic structure- a symbol of immense wealth and progress, now burning to the ground.

"He's here!" The soldier screamed, and Saito turned and ran as fast as his feet could carry him. But in every turn was death, in every corner was bedlam. The horse-mounted soldiers were closing in on him in the middle of the burning inferno- and he looked around him, _hell on earth._

A sharp pain shot through his shoulder, and he turned to the source in disbelief. A burning arrow was imbedded on his shoulder.

And then another one.

And another one.

And he fell on his knees, unable to take the critical hits to his vital points.

"Where are you planning to go, human?" the archer grinned up from his horse, looking down on the slumped figure beneath him. Two other soldiers closed in, and the injured man hung his head down.

Saito spit out the blood from his mouth. "Human? Aren't _you_ the human?"

The soldier's eyes narrowed.

"Hn." Saito chuckled. "Where are the _Arcane_ users? It's them I want to play with." He brought his hand to the arrow jutting from his chest. "Not you low-level magic wielders who rely on enchantments and temporary boosts."

To the soldier's horror, the man pulled the arrow out of his body. Blood spilled in great amounts, dripping on the dirt. But it did not make him stop. He pulled the other arrow.

And the other one.

And the other.

Then, he looked up at them with a smirk. "How dare you underestimate a Mibu."

It all happened in a snap, and the soldiers were not prepared at all. Large canine jaws clamped on one soldier's throat, and the victim screamed in terror.

The two other soldiers were thrown off their horses, their stallions spooked and terrified. Before them was a monstrous wolf, and it was dismembering the soldier alive, mercilessly tearing his throat and body apart.

The gore made one of the soldiers vomit in disgust, and his heaving caught the wolf's attention. Its cold grey eyes slanted to them. "I was in a rush, and I could have just spared you. But no one is to know about my escape. I have an important mission to do, so I'll finish you quickly." The wolf smirked, fresh blood dripping from his powerful jaws, the perished soldier's flesh embedded in his fangs. "Aren't you just lucky?"

In the blazing fire, two more screams of terror added to the infernal night.

* * *

 _-El Qasr,_

 _Capital of the East-_

The lofty halls could not seem to contain his unease. He had been searching for her for quite a while now, but he could just not seem to get a glimpse of that familiar figure that plagued his thoughts the day he set foot on the fortress.

He guarded her the whole night. And as much as he would have just wanted to break in to her room and mark her permanently while she was asleep, this was not his territory.

The Northern King yawned as he stepped out of the palace gates. He shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand and scanned the bustling city life. The flames on the four corners were still burning as bright.

He lifted his hood over his head and proceeded through the town with a destination in mind, his thoughts going back to his musings.

It would have been simpler if he were in the Northern Territory, being the king he could do anything he wanted. Or if at least he _had_ his Northern Territory: he would have demanded Aoshi for the Ameera to be his bride in exchange for the Northern Kingdom's alliance. If there was any rejection, he would have just simply abducted her; locked her in his room and tied her down with iron chains, have his way with her until she submitted.

 _Sanosuke looked at him with a grimace in his face. "Are you sure you want to do that? She'll hate you with a passion!"_

 _Kenshin glared at his general. "I've never had to court any woman before. And her nature… she is making things especially hard."_

 _"You're right about that. She's no docile lamb._

 _And definitely not a damsel in distress." Sanosuke shook his head morosely. "Not everyone can handle her."_

 _"It does not matter now," Kenshin said. "She has consumed my existence,_

 _It would only be fair to claim her as mine."_

He reached his destination, the walls that protected the city of El Qasr. The gates had just been closed as a group of grey-clothed soldiers were dismounting from their horses. The Northern King scanned their familiar figures. Morning patrols had ended.

He stalked towards them.

The Ameera's familiar laughter rang through the dusty, dry milieu, and he lifted his eyes, the vision of her rising like the shimmer of heat escaping the sand.

She was wearing drab grey clothing. But the silks did nothing to hide the curves that swelled underneath, her mere movements too preternaturally graceful she seemed to be caught in a perpetual dance. The people passed by with their gazes down, but they would secretly cast stolen glances at the enthralling woman.

His eyes narrowed in jealousy, wishing he could have just locked her away in his castle, only for his eyes to feast upon.

 _She's no docile lamb._

He watched her stare down at the outstretched hand of one of the soldiers with the scythe strapped to his back: Kamatari. She made a quick comment and ignored the hand, dismounting the horse by herself without needing any assistance.

 _And definitely not a damsel in distress._

Kamatari made a counter-comment, and the Ameera's expressive eyes suddenly blazed mischievously. Laughter exploded in the group when Kamatari started protesting: the Ameera had frozen his tongue into a solid block of ice, the lieutenant was yelping in pain.

 _Not everyone can handle her, but that does not matter now._

His eyes settled on his courting mark on her neck, still red and angry from three weeks since the bite. He hid a smirk as he proceeded towards the group

 _She has consumed my existence,_

 _It would be fair to claim her as mine._

"My Lord," she said, her blue eyes sweeping towards him, regarding him casually as she handed the reins of her horse to one of the soldiers. "Did you have a restful sleep?"

"You're supposed to be my escort for the week." Kenshin raised an elegant brow. "Should I tell the Malik you've been leaving your ward to himself lately?"

She waved him off dismissively, "Ah, I got sidetracked." She said as she snapped her finger, dropping her frozen-tongue spell on the lieutenant. Kamatari released a barrage of curses. The Ameera waved goodbye to the soldiers, pulling the Dragon Lord to the opposite direction as if nothing happened. "So many interesting things around, it's so hard not to be tempted." She finally turned to him and stopped. "But I'm here now, My Lord. Anywhere you want to go? I'm all yours."

The Dragon Lord regarded her carefully. Before he could suggest anything, Misao came running to them.

"Kaoru, Your Highness, there you are," she paused smiling, trying to catch her breath. "Aoshi- I mean, the Malik wishes for your presence in the palace."

Kaoru patted Misao's back. "How unfortunate. Is he making you his personal messenger now?"

* * *

 _-Kaivos,_

 _Western Territories-_

The giant wolf ran through the darkness of the isolated port, a big gash on his belly, his muzzle smashed, deformed. On his way out of the blazing inferno he encountered one of the Arcane users-

A monk, by all appearances, with the calmest aura around him.

But his fists said otherwise.

The entity was suspicious of the giant wolf. With one clout of his powerful fists, he managed to injure the Mibu, even in his monstrous beast form. There was a red trail of magical residue in his hands, an innate fire. It was only when the entity was momentarily distracted by the arrival of more magic users did the wolf manage to escape.

Saito carefully studied them from a hidden distance. A blindfolded swordsman, a blonde-haired man with a scar on his eye, and the most innocent, angelic-faced boy with the coldest smile: Now that the siege was over, it appeared that they had been recalled back to the North.

And now the giant wolf stood, fatally injured by the port of Kaivos, staring at the vast, dark ocean before him. The sky was empty, the stars hidden under a curtain of thick smoke from the fires of the Citadel.

He waited quietly. And it finally came: The Eastern Wind of Sirocco. Saito morphed painfully back into his human form, his ribs snapping and already broken from that single hit. With the orb in hand, he flung it to the ground, and a massive flare exploded before him. The flare shot upwards into the sky, and it exploded into a thousand entrancing pieces.

Like fireworks, in that barren, hopeless moment.

For a while Saito was consumed with unease, could their allies have received such a mundane signal? It only looked like one of the explosions brought about by the destruction of the citadel.

But something caught his eye, and the Mibu wolf stepped back in awe.

Not far from the ocean, from a large galleon that was drifting afloat, a similar red explosion flared the skies.

And after a few moments, another one flared further in the distance, the light going farther and farther- a relay of the signal was being passed on.

With one last look at the echoing red ocean skies, he morphed back into his wolf form to head back to the Western Princesses' hideout.

Now all they had to do was wait.

* * *

 _-El Qasr-_

"I want you to gauge the Northern King's energy channels, if it is possible for you to open it and guide his fire out. Our intelligence has ruled out Arcane Sorcerers, and it is impossible for the infiltrators to have used a Fire Drake.

Only one exists in every generation, and that one is standing before us right now." The Malik swept his gaze on the quiet woman standing before him, and the Northern King noticed the hesitance in her usually courageous demeanor.

"It's just a suspicion, Kaoru," Aoshi explained. "Besides, there is a high probability that it's some other clan, and not his."

With that, the djinnya raised her eyes. "I hope you are right, brother."

The Malik leaned on his throne. "Kenshin. I'm sorry if this is all too sudden, but we have no time to lose. If our suspicions are right and the Arcane users that attacked your castle are Ifrits, we're in big trouble." His eyes were the same steel cold, "Even if we have the Fariq, who is a Marid djinn, by our side, it would quell this great unease of mine… if I knew that you will be able to protect yourself, should our General fail."

Kenshin stepped back. He recalled in detachment, the crushing blue haula that brought an entire battalion to their knees, the power that rained blue fire and brimstone from the skies,

That overwhelming ancient energy that was older than his draconian blood, older than time itself.

And he had yet to meet the Fariq of the East in person.

The Northern King turned to the Ameera as she shifted, an instinct to cater to his future mate's needs. She was looking at him with an unusual hardness to her eyes.

"My Lord, the process in opening up your channels will be difficult, more so in my part. I still have to gauge how far the gap is between your fire and your channels. Please excuse me while I make the preparations." She bowed down and exited the doors.

Kenshin glared at Aoshi. "Why Kaoru?" he said, "How about the Fariq, or any other magic user?"

Aoshi allowed himself a smile. "I understand your hesitance," he said, "I recognize that mark on her neck. But she does not know. She is too innocent in such things… It seems that I have over-protected her, and judging from her naivete, her guardian back in Amberistad did the same thing.

But she is the only one capable of handling such amount of power. You'll have to bear with it, Fire Drake."

* * *

 _-El Qasr,_

 _The Cliff Overlooking Sha'ra-_

Kenshin quietly watched in wonder as she stood beside him, waiting for the winds to give her the go signal. And as they waited, the Northern King cast a silent gaze at his chosen mate.

Even if he will have marked her as his, he knew he could never capture her completely.

And it was frustrating him to no end.

"Will you be alright?" he said, but he inevitably held back. She will be, as Aoshi had mentioned, she had been the general of a legendary djinn Kingdom for twenty years.

Yet she looked back at him with a carefree smile, her long, ebony hair dancing in the breeze. "Of course. It just brings back fond memories, of when my Shishio opened my channels for me. Now I get to do it with you."

A twinge of jealousy flared inside him, and he tried so hard to control his inner beast. "Your Shishio?"

"Shishio, the late King of Amberistad, strongest of the Ifrit. He was my mother's half brother. And I loved him as I did my own." A certain sadness crept into the Ameera's blue eyes, and the Northern King kept silent.

A gentle western wind blew their way, and Kaoru slowly closed her eyes. "I wonder why… the persimmons have not arrived…" she suddenly said, and Kenshin turned to her. She held a worried expression on her beautiful face.

He hid his fangs behind a reflexive snarl. "Are you worried about your "Obsessed Suitor" form the West?" he snapped, recalling her mention about him the first time they met.

She opened her eyes, and to his surprise, she laughed softly. "Yes. I do worry about him. He is… such an adorable young gentleman," she smiled wistfully, "I couldn't help but play along when he asked for my hand in marriage."

"You promised yourself to someone?" the Northern King restrained himself from yanking her towards him.

The Ameera clutched her chest, "He proclaimed his love for me the first time we met. And I couldn't help but melt." She shook her head and let out a dramatic sigh.

"Who is this suitor? What is his name?" The Dragon Lord tried to hide the absolute homicidal intent that was starting to leak through his energy. The Ameera probably noticed it, but she shrugged her dainty shoulders in nonchalance.

"His name? Yutaro Tsukayama, of the Western Territories."

The Northern King's eyes narrowed, he recognized the name. Yutaro was the child heir to the Western Throne.

"You said yes to the proposal of a _five-year-old_?" Kenshin said in disbelief.

Kaoru turned to him, "How could I not?" she drew back, greatly offended. "I would never dare break the heart of a little child!"

His hand shot out of his sleeve, and he grabbed her wrist and yanked her close. "Enough with the games-" he snarled, and the Ameera looked at him with confusion. "He won't just drop interest in you when he grows to be a man. You are an immortal, you'll still have the appearance of a sixteen-year-old for as long as you exist."

Kaoru's lips parted, "My Lord, what angers you so?"

"I am starting to suspect that your brother has been wrong about you," The Northern King whispered to himself as he released her, and he ran his hand through his red hair, on the verge of pulling it out in frustration. "Kaoru, do you know why that mark on your neck has never-"

"It's here," She suddenly said, as her eyes snapped to the open ocean. Her eyes drifted to his, brilliant and blue and sparkling with giddy anticipation, completely ignoring the strain the other person felt that had not washed away. "The ancient current is here,"

She reached out and interlaced her hands on his, and all the tension he felt immediately melted away in her intimate warmth. "My Lord, whatever happens…don't let go of me."

She pulled him with her, hand in hand, as she led him to the edge of the cliff-

And he felt themselves plunge into a hundred feet drop, down to the crashing ocean, into the realm of the unknown.

* * *

The Northern King opened his eyes to an unusual sight. It seemed like they were drifting under the depths of the mystical ocean, a soft blue light illuminating their person.

He felt as if they were a dying candle in the dead of the night.

Around them were vast currents of magic, spinning like colossal pillars, like ominous whirlpools. And the leviathans of the deep lurked around them, circling their vulnerable forms.

He felt like a speck of dust in the vast, alternate universe around them.

It was then that the Northern King realized, they were indeed submerged in the mystic ocean of Sha'ra. And he gasped in reflex, inhaling the water in his lungs.

He started to panic.

His eyes flew open, his arms thrashed frantically. He could not breathe, he was drowning.

"Relax." Her soothing voice echoed in his mind, but it was not enough. He pushed against her violently, but she held on tight.

The Ameera released her hands and reached around his neck, wrapping him in an intimate, tight embrace. "My Lord, I'm here…" She whispered in his ear. "Trust in the ocean… allow yourself to breathe through your soul. Listen to me… breathe with me."

He held on to her tight, crushing her small body in his arms. And he could hear her heart as he laid his head on her soft, generous chest.

It was beating calmly,

A strong, bounding heartbeat, with a steady rhythm, lulling him into a trance.

"Yes… good job. You've done well, my king… now breathe." She said, and he did.

The Northern King opened his eyes as she slightly pulled away, her face a calm he had never seen before. She gently slid her hands away and reached for his own, interlacing their fingers together yet again. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his, as they drifted in silence at the unfathomable depths of the ancient gateway.

"Now, I want you to open your soul to me, allow me to come in." she said, "We are here because this is neutral magic territory. I want to concentrate on you, and only you.

So I want you to think of only me. Fire Drake, let me in."

The Dragon Lord breathed sharply, and he opened up.

A surge of ancient energy rushed into his unused channels, the feeling quite similar to her possession in the cave, and the euphoria that shot through his soul made his breath tremble in sheer arousal, her complete invasion infecting him like a festering poison he just wanted to drown in.

The Ameera frowned as she navigated his ancient channels, and her muscles twitched involuntarily. Her limbs made jerking movements. Kenshin realized: she was in another realm, and he had to restrain himself from being consumed by the rapture her energy was making him feel.

If he let go, she would be lost in his soul.

Her grip to his hand loosened. But he held tight, and she squeezed back in the darkness, her blue haula fading, as she was going deeper and deeper into the ancient channels inside him. And then, they lost connection.

Her blue haula vanished.

Her body suddenly lurched, her jaw clenching in what appeared to be deep pain. Then she started convulsing, her muscles throwing itself into violent fits of contractures. Her lips opened in a silent, tortured scream,

And his instincts kicked in yet again, seeing his chosen one in distress. Engulfing her in a tight embrace, the Fire Drake's soul reached out to her. And he could feel her, reaching out to him too.

And once they reunited, a surge of scarlet power- his power- ran through his channels, filling his soul with his own ancient energy, enough to bring his djinnya to a place where she could navigate by herself.

The Ameera's red fire emerged from deep inside, as it pulled it away from his soul, out into the present realm.

* * *

The sun had set when they emerged from the gateway, and they found themselves on the rocky shore. The Northern King turned to the princess beside him in concern.

"Are you faring well?" he asked. He was exhausted, but he couldn't imagine the expanse of sheer life energy she had spent navigating through his channels.

"The gap was farther than I expected. And opening your locked elemental channels was a task." She turned to him and managed a smile. "Thank you for pulling me out." She gave him a lopsided grin, "Your fire is powerful. Truly, it is. Being able to stand before it and witness it in its pure form… thank you. It was such an honor."

The Northern King allowed himself a smile. He reached out to her, and he settled his hand on her small face. "No," he said, "Thank You."

She laughed as she playfully tilted her head away from his hand, "Don't thank me yet. Your channels are only opened, now we have to figure out how to coax your fire out into the milieu, so you can take it under your control." She said, as her gaze drifted to the golden sky. She closed her eyes as she felt the warm breeze hit her face, "Today was an interesting day. I had so much fun."

"Kaoru," he suddenly said, and she gave him a sidelong glance.

"Hmmm?" was her noncommittal reply. She watched in a detached curiosity, as his eyes bled again into that curious blinding gold. The Northern King shifted and leaned towards her, closer towards her, and she grinned. She disappeared in a swirl of smoke, reappearing a foot farther.

Kenshin leaned back, a predatory gleam settling in his eyes. Then he suddenly disappeared, and strong hands grasped the Ameera's wrists and she found herself pinned to the ground.

"Ah, what is this sudden attack, and how do I get out of this?" she asked playfully.

Kenshin pulled back, struggling with a sudden realization: She was not human. The old rumors about her had said that she was born from a wish, after all. So she was not from this realm.

And she was a naturally mischevious entity, she was not taking anything seriously.

She was not taking _him_ seriously.

And it brought a frown to his face. "I'm done playing games," he announced. If there was one thing Aoshi might be right about, it must be the fact that she had no idea what was on her neck. The Dragon Lord bent down and lapped at her courting mark. He expected her to stiffen and be flustered at the sensation of his tongue running on her skin. But instead she winced and burst into giggles, a reaction he did not expect at all.

Which only frustrated him further.

"Oh my, the Fire Drake is going to eat me!" she exclaimed, wrestling against him in a fit of laughter.

"I said I'm done playing games." He snarled, and he stilled her with his weight. "Kaoru," he pleaded softly, and she heaved a sigh.

She rolled her eyes. "What."

"Look at me."

The Ameera pursed her lips, blowing his bangs away from his face. She smiled cheerily as she finally locked eyes with him. "I fulfilled the vain wish of the powerful Dragon Lord." Her brow quirked upward in a tease, "What now?"

"Kaoru," he said, "I believe you have not realized my intentions." he dipped down, and her eyes widened in alarm.

But then a soft breeze drifted between them.

It was then that she abruptly froze.

Kenshin drew back- her bright blue eyes had darkened considerably, there was a nervous surge in her energy. "Kaoru, what's- "

Her gaze snapped towards the ocean, and she disappeared in a smoke from beneath him and reappeared on the edge of the shore. The Northern King followed closely behind.

Their gazes were heaven-bound.

There was a bright red flare, illuminating the darkening sky.

"Shit," was all she said, and that was the last thing he heard before she disappeared in a cloud of blue and red mist.

* * *

It only took him a few minutes before he arrived at the palace gates. But when he did, Misao immediately greeted him and pulled him inside, "Your Highness,"

Kenshin pulled away. "What's happening?" he said with a collected calm.

"A distress call from the West. As your guardians will not be available for the next few days, we will need you to stay within the walls of El Qasr."

"My guardians… will not be available," Kenshin said, not liking the sound of the last sentence. He then realized, "Where is Kaoru,"

"She will be safe." A steeled feminine voice said. The two turned around to see four black-clad soldiers. He could recognize the figures of the three: scythe-wielding Kamatari, the looming, concealed figure of Han'ya, and the towering bulk of Shikijo.

But the fourth he did not recognize.

The only woman in the group was clad in a tight, body-conforming leather that fit her like a second skin. High ponytail, two scimitars strapped on her hips, a giant crossbow on her back.

And the royal insignia of the East, with five stars underneath: The Fariq of El Qasr.

"You are not to leave the protected walls of the city while I am gone." her cold but strangely familiar eyes pierced through the slit of her keffiyeh, as she locked her gaze with the Northern King. "At any cost."

Her shoulders were tense, her back firm and straight in attention. Her movements were severe and calculated, and she brushed past him; her cruel, suffocating aura reacting to the very atmosphere, surges of lightning diffusing dangerously in her perimeter.

The Fariq was in heightened caution. Her subordinates followed closely behind. Black stallions were already waiting for them at the end of the stairs, and without so much as a last glance, they rode off out the palace gates, through the town, towards the opened doors of the walled city of El Qasr.


	13. Rekindling

_**Rekindling**_

* * *

Three days.

It might seem innocuous, but to the Fire Drake, it would have probably been the longest three days of his life.

Not that there was nothing to do, he kept close to the Eastern Malik's side the whole time, played busy with his role of Royal Advisor for the time being. And the Malik was highly appreciative of his input, Aoshi had only been a king for five years anyway, compared to his forty years in the Northern Throne.

"Will she be returning soon?" the Dragon Lord asked yet again, sheathing his sword to the hilt. He had just finished a sparring session against the Malik, he was the only one who could par with him, anyway.

"Will you stop asking me that?" Aoshi shot back, wiping his _kodachi._ "Truthfully I'd be willing to answer it, but you asking me for the thirty-fifth time this morning." He stole a glance at the distracted man before him. "Is there something wrong?"

"The courting mark allows me to check on her surface energy once in a while. And from those times I am able to penetrate through her barrier, I notice that she is always in heightened tension."

The Malik observed the Fire Drake's tight clutch to his sword.

"Why don't you just tell me where she is, and what she is involved in?" Kenshin turned to him, his eyes a blinding gold. "You know my intentions with the Ameera are genuine."

"And so is every other man, begging for her hand in marriage."

Kenshin frowned. "You mean she has other suitors?" He let out a fanged snarl. "Tell me their names."

Aoshi sighed in defeat, and he turned to walk away. "As I said, she will return when its over." He waved a hand in dismissal, refusing to give more. "You have the afternoon off."

Kenshin waited for the Malik to exit the room. Still in a restrained snarl, the Dragon Lord slowly closed his eyes, and he reached as deep as he could with his energy channels, and he plunged into the inner realm of his energy.

"Kaoru," he whispered in frustration, trying to connect to his courting mark. At first he felt some warmth… a little tingle in his spine.

A slight annoyance, most probably coming from her. Her surface energy did not want his perverse intrusion. But he was persistent, he encroached into her surprisingly tense life force.

And he penetrated into her vision, what he saw reeled him back:

 _A burning city, charred, dismembered dolls, littered and strewn on the road. Until he realized that they were not dolls, but people._

 _Men, women, children, wasted in the aftermath of a siege. On the horrible heap of corpses was the burning flag of the West._

"Get the hell away from that place…" Kenshin snarled. But Kaoru turned slightly to her right, and her vision focused to the only thing that was not burning. "Kaoru, where the hell are you?"

 _It was the flag of the intruding force: A Red Dragon, but with a black ribbon underneath._

" _Are you here to help us, or to bring us our demise?" A voice called out softly. It was from one of the bodies left to be dead at the side; a woman, cradling her already lifeless child in her limp arm. She was impaled on the chest by a large spear, her life was flickering from her exhausted eyes. "What have we done to deserve this?" she cried out, "What have we done to receive the wrath of the Dragon Lord of the North?"_

He did not realize he had reeled and had stumbled to the floor. "No, that's not my doing-"

 _She gasped her last breath._

 _A low growl filled the deathly silence, and from the shadows emerged a large wolf. Its head was cast low, its fangs bared-_

" _Are you responsible for this slaughter?" Kaoru's calm voice drifted in the eerie silence._

" _No, but are you?"_

 _The Ameera chuckled. "Ah, you blabber nonsense,"_

" _Stop pretending, little miss. I know who you are. You're one of those puppets of the House of the Red Dragon. How did he bribe you into doing his dirty work?"_

" _That's most unfortunate… I don't know what you're talking about."_

" _SHUT UP!" The wolf trembled, its paws digging into the blood-soaked earth. "I know what you are. You're not human, you don't even belong in this realm… you're one of them. You're one of THEM!"_

 _The wolf lunged towards her. And instantly, three black figures - scythe-wielding Kamatari, the masked Han'nya, and imposing Shikijo appeared, protectively before her, with their weapons raised to attack._

"Your Highness!" Someone screamed at his ear, and it snapped the Fire Drake into his present reality. His eyes were splintered in an intense, blinding gold, his lips were bleeding from where his fangs pierced. He looked up, the worried face of the Malik's consort hovered over him.

"You have to tell me where she is," Kenshin said, grabbing her by the arm.

"Huh?" Misao said, trying to pry the Northern King's hands off.

"My Kaoru! Tell me where she is!" He demanded, and Misao gasped. His hands were heating up…

Misao's eyes widened in alarm. Did he find a way to channel his fire? If he did, she was in big trouble. "W-wait, your highness, I'm sure we could—"

The Malik suddenly burst into the room, "She is on a covert mission in the Western Territories." He announced, and Kenshin immediately released Misao. The consort sank on the floor, petrified at such close call.

If a fire-drake possessed the flame that could burn the gods, what would it have done to a human like her?

Aoshi knelt before Misao, tending to her hand. "I would appreciate if you don't threaten my fiancée."

"I apologize. I needed to know where _my_ fiancée is." Kenshin grit out, earning a raised brow from the couple.

"My sister, who is under my authority, and who has no idea she is anyone's fiancée, is in a recon mission in Noslau." Aoshi answered.

"She needs my protection,"

"She is safe as of the moment, that I could attest." Aoshi's gaze secretly flicked to the bright blue flames of the Minarets. "She should be well on her way back by now, just a little more patience, Kenshin. Didn't I tell you? She's stronger than you think she is."

The Malik watched as the Northern King made his way out of the room.

"Your Highness," Misao called out in concern,

"I'll be in my room," the Northern King said, rather harshly. Far from the polite, mild-mannered Kenshin that they knew.

Misao turned to Aoshi, "I'm kind of worried. Am I just overreacting?"

"You're not," Aoshi answered, helping her up to her feet. "His persistence is unnatural, it could even be perceived as boorish. But he is not human.

Dragons are highly protective of their mates, to the point that they become reckless.

It's part of their instinct, and if Kenshin has hardly been introduced to his ancient energy, he won't have much luck in controlling it."

"But Kaoru will be back pretty soon, right?"

Aoshi nodded.

It was imperative that the Northern King be kept within the walls of El Qasr until Kaoru was back.

" _I haven't finished working on his channels yet, His energy gates are wide open," he recalled Kaoru tell him. "Right now he's like a tunnel... until I am able to coax his energy out, the majority of his channels are still empty._

 _The Northern King is extremely vulnerable to possession._

 _Keep him within the walls of El Qasr, in the warmth of my protective flames. That is the only way I can protect him from the opportunistic spirits that lurk outside the city."_

* * *

"Your Highness?" The guard softly knocked at his door and slowly entered. He peered through the dark, making sure the Northern King was still in his room. There seemed to be a body underneath the covers, but the doors to their esteemed guest's balcony were open: the curtains fluttered from the warm evening breeze.

The guard strode towards the bed, and he swiftly pulled the covers off.

Pillows… no Northern King in sight.

There was a scuffle and a neigh, and the guard rushed towards the balcony. The outline of a horseman emerged from the dark, two flights off the ground, and it sped past the gates of the palace, towards the town, towards the walls of the city.

"The Northern King has escaped!" he yelled, alerting nearby officers.

* * *

When Kenshin reached the gates of El Qasr, he realized that a small army had already materialized behind him. He only kicked his stallion to speed faster… and he dashed past the gates, into the vast desert of the East.

He knew, by memory, that there was a portal by the Valley of the Ghouls that could lead him to the Port of Ariman.

That would be one step closer to his future Queen, and the burning city that was destroyed under the false pretense of his name.

He reached the darker part of the desert, to where the dunes seemed to dip down into a gorge of sand. The valley was filled with mist and scattered with dehydrated corpses, of scavenge and perished adventurers.

His horse skidded into an abrupt stop, frightened by the sudden strong aura that met them. A giant shadow suddenly emerged from the deepest ravine of the gorge… creeping up towards them, like a monstrous famine to the land.

The sand groaned as the energy hovered by…

And it rose from the dry ocean, towering over the Northern King's now minute form.

"Well, well… what do we have here? A willing host?" The wind roared into a violent storm, the sand cloud materializing into an anguished ghoul. "The last time I tried to possess a soul as strong as yours, I ended up being banished into this hell…" His eyes opened, and Kenshin finally realized the position he was in.

The Ghoul was no ordinary dark entity.

"But everyone deserves a second chance, eh?" He grinned, his eyes coals of raging black fire. And before the Northern King could even comprehend, the cloud of sand fell on the ground… and the ghoul became black smoke…

And it rushed into the Fire Drake, seizing his entire soul.

"Your Highness!" Misao screamed, her small army catching up behind her. "Stay away from that place, you are—"

The Northern King turned to her stiffly, and their eyes met. Misao roughly pulled the reins of her mare, and everyone halted into a dead stop.

Black smoke was rising from where the Northern King stood… and there was a black ring of fire that blazed on his right hand.

"Hyottoko, Beshimi, shield me." Misao said to two of the black clad warriors as she dismounted her horse, "I need to summon the Fariq."

The possessed King, with eyes of fiery gold, kicked up a storm of sand behind him and charged. From the mass graveyard of bones and corpses, a small army of rogue archers arose under the command of their new master.

The light of the moon was covered in a horrible veil of posion arrows, and it rained on the small army like a sudden downpour. An eruption of light blue exploded in the darkness, expelling the arrows, and it dissolved like rust, sparkling on the sand.

It was the Dervish Misao's holy energy, "Everyone, take it from here!"

More undead corpses rose from their slumber. Now that the unknown ghoul had access to such powerful energy through the Northern King, Misao's breathing trembled.

"Concentrate," She shut her eyes tight, as the clash of swords started, the sound of bone and body crunching around her, "Shit, concentrate, Misao!"

She found her center, and she opened her eyes. The dervish was surrounded by pillars of light, and she started chanting… she drew in the sand a perfect circle… her summon spell was beginning.

A gut-wrenching groan came from before her. The horse-mounted Northern King raised his sword at the unflinching dervish, but he was suddenly pulled back,

Beshimi had launched himself against the berserk King. With one swift strike, he hacked the high-level warrior down.

Complete chaos was everywhere, as the soldiers clashed against the undead. But the possessed King remained as composed as ever… unmindful of the bedlam. His golden eyes shifted to the chanting warrior. "Who are you trying to summon, little girl?" He grinned, and he raised his sword yet again, spikes of black crystal erupting from the ground- running towards the holy warrior.

It exploded just inches before it reached her pillars of light:

Hyottoko had pulled up a wall of flame between them.

The King ran towards the magic-wielder and his shield of fire, and he started hacking it down with a mad grin on his face.

"Misao!" Hyottoko called out in urgency, his arms braced before him. He was struggling to keep the wall of flame before him, every clout of the Posessed King's sword held a burn like no other. And it hissed through his own skin…

A terrible, excruciating pain.

The possessing ghoul was using the flames of the Fire Drake.

"I can't summon her!" Misao yelled in panic, "No one has ever summoned her before-" she said through clenched teeth. She cursed herself. The spell was not strong enough, her words were not strong enough.

What spell could summon the djinniya? Surely not an ordinary one: that was what she tried, and it failed miserably.

She never knew the real depth of Kaoru's power.

Hyottoko was falling back, his wall of fire was opening. Open wounds started to appear on his arms.

Around them, the small army was losing from the sheer number. Ghouls poured in from every direction, hacking away the life of the small army.

"Misao!" Hyottoko called out again, and an idea snapped into the frantic mind of the dervish.

"I hope this works." She muttered under her breath. Misao supercharged her mana, concentrated all her life energy into the circle. Holy blue flame swallowed her entire being, as she chanted strong words, powerful words that even the mere air around them trembled at her utterance.

Hyottoko realized she was starting a most dangerous spell that had only been used three times in the recorded history of the East:

A spell to call forth the Spirit of Lilith, the Mother of all djinn.

A blast of deep blue exploded in the circle.

In the middle of the smoke and undisturbed vector, a solitary figure stood at the center, right before the kneeling form of Misao. The dervish held her breath.

* * *

"You summoned me?" a sultry, yet oh so familiar voice drifted into the warzone. "I was just about done with the _mibu_ , and Kamatari and the others are securing the Western Princesses,"

Misao breathed in immense relief. It was the Fariq, her steeled blue eyes looking back at her in the grim darkness.

"Kenshin," she said, out of breath, "He has been…" the dervish fell down in sheer exhaustion. The Fariq caught her before she hit the ground, and she gently rested her on the sand.

She rose from her position, and she scanned the chaos ever so calmly, unperturbed by the cries of death around her.

"Fariq!" Hyottoko acknowledged, calling out in desperation.

"Hush," she said, her eyes closed, a steady steam of blue rolling out of her dangerous aura. The thick fog crept under their feet, on the sand… a living entity, her power… under the small army, under the hundreds of ghouls, "I need to know who challenges this djinniya's authority."

She opened her eyes, and the army, the ghouls:

They dropped to their knees, unwillingly submitting to the crushing power of her presence. The force holding them down was so strong that they were unable to move.

The General of the East tilted her head as she saw the single figure that remained standing. "My, my. Is that you, my Lord?"

* * *

He had no control of himself. It was a miserable feeling, to be enchained in your own body while someone else navigated it. He saw everything, but he was a silent witness.

He could not stop the attacks.

The ghoul that possessed him made sure he had total manipulation.

Kenshin saw the blast, he knew something was being summoned. He felt the crushing aura, he saw how everything else prostrated in her power. His hackles stood on end, he realized who had been summoned.

He saw the concealed figure of the Fariq, surrounded by sparks and surges of cool blue lightning.

 _Her eyes…_

it was the first time he had a really good look in her eyes.

 _Look so familiar,_

His body moved, controlled by the savage ghoul. The Fariq disappeared into blue smoke and reappeared behind him, raising her scimitars, delivering a powerful blow to his back. His body stumbled, but he sprinted towards her and slashed his sword in the air.

His Fire-Drake flame erupted, scorching through the blue energy shield she just summoned.

"Hmph," she chuckled vainly, as part of her face concealment fell off, revealing a challenged grin.

 _Her lips…_

 _I've dreamed… so many times of those lips…_

The Fariq suddenly appeared smack before him, driving her two scimitars straight through his shoulders. The Ghoul in him, and even he himself screamed in pain…

She straddled him with all her abnormal strength, impaling him, literally nailing him by her blade to the ground. She drove her curved swords further, his golden blood glistening, pooling underneath.

And the Fariq, satisfied that we would not be able to bodily escape from his stake, dipped down. "Keep your filthy spirit off my King," The Fariq hissed, and she pulled away, taking off her concealment.

 _The Fariq is…_

Kenshin's eyes widened.

 _Kaoru._

She grabbed his jaw, forcing his mouth open. There was no other option, and his body crumbled into her overwhelming, possessive force. She leaned down dangerously close towards him.

The Ameera blew into him… into his open mouth, three times.

A rush of her familiar haula invaded him, the delicious penetration sending shivers down the Dragon Lord's spine. And after her last blow, the raging black spirit of the ghoul evacuated his body.

The pain disappeared, the black shadow retreated into the ravine. The undead corpses crumbled into dust…

And everything else faded around the exhausted Dragon Lord.

* * *

He did not know how long he had slept. He woke up with a terrible headache, and he was on his bed, that he knew.

He looked at the dial that counted how much time had passed.

Kenshin bolted up. Two days?!

He donned his silks and rushed out of the door, the palace servants greeting him with eyes cast low.

He entered the King's throne hall, and Kenshin's eyes zeroed into one of the black-clad figures that knelt before the Malik. "Kaoru," he muttered.

There was a low, guttural growl that filled the quiet hall… and something tackled him from the side, powerful jaws clamped down on his hip. The Fire Drake snarled in shock, a burst of flame erupting from his hand. He grabbed the giant wolf by its neck and he pried it away from him…

The scent of charred and burning flesh wafting around the room.

"Please, my Lord," The Ameera's soothing voice crept to his side, she had braced her slender arms around his waist, pulling him away, "We are in the presence of children."

Kenshin immediately drew back, leaning on the heat of her petite body. "Kaoru," he said, crushing her in his arms, burying his face on the curve of her neck, seeking comfort in his courting mark on her skin.

"Eh?" she tried to pull away from the sudden display of affection. "You miss me that much?"

"How can you ally with the enemy?!" A stranger's voice interjected, "The Northern King is—"

"The Northern King is here, so you can see. And he has been here since his throne had been taken over by the House of White Snow." The Malik arose from his throne. "We already told you that. I will not tolerate violence inside these palace walls, Mibu. I suggest you control your emotions before we do it for you."

The giant wolf morphed back into a tall, slender man. He glared at Kenshin…

And the Northern King glared back. "I know you. Saito Hajime, the lieutenant of the Western Army. Where is your general?"

"Dead." The man answered flatly, "The King, his queen… his young heir," Saito trembled with restrained rage. "The whole citadel of Noslau, burned to the ground. All because the Northern King failed to defend his throne!"

Kenshin stepped back, at a loss for words.

"You have been alive all along," Saito accused, "But you chose to live a life in the sheltered arms of the East, forgetting your own Kingdom? And you dare allow your infiltrators to BRING DOWN OURS?!"

"Stop!" Two little bodies pulled the slender lieutenant back, the two child princesses of the West, "Saito, please…"

The Northern King stormed out of the room, his jaw clenched in frustrated restraint.

"Kenshin." The Malik firmly called out, but he was already past the doors. Aoshi gave his Fariq a permissive nod,

And the Ameera nodded back, disappearing into a screen of blue smoke.

* * *

The Northern King paced back and forth on his balcony, deeply troubled, his rage eating him up. He stopped and looked at his hand… he tried to summon his flame.

It did not come willingly.

The Dragon Lord crammed his fists on the parapet, the stone crumbling under his blow.

"My father… would have been horrified by such heinous vandalism." Someone suddenly said.

The Northern King glared at the newcomer on his balcony. There she was, the Ameera of the East — the Fariq of El Qasr, seated on the edge of the parapet. "He built this palace from the ground up, you see. I once wrote something silly on my bedroom wall when I was six. I was given three moon's worth of beatings…" She chuckled at the memory. "My fire-haired King is lucky that Aoshi is not partial to the architecture."

Her eyes were closed in pleasant contentment, she was humming a soft tune to the warm desert wind of Sirocco.

The breeze was alive and full of spirit, and it responded by playing with her hair, tickling her delicate face. And she smiled and reached out to it, red and blue sparks diffusing softly to the wind.

"It's only been four weeks," she said.

"What are you doing here?"Kenshin snapped.

"You're still healing from your loss yourself,"

"Don't test my patience." He grit out.

"And that was a big loss… your father, the Northern Kingdom… and your fire, it is no ordinary fire. It's not that we can just coax it out like a rabbit from its hole,"

Kenshin clenched his jaw, annoyed at her nonchalance, ashamed of his vulnerability. "What do you want from me?" he said harshly.

She opened her eyes, electric blue against the golden-red sky above. With the ever-present smile on her face, she pointed to the heavens. "Look, the stars have come out so early. Isn't it beautiful?"

Kenshin let out an exhausted breath.

"Mischievous djinn," he said, looking away, "I am not in the mood to play any games right now!"

Silence.

"Whoever said that I'm here to play?" came the reply, and the Northern King's gaze drifted to the woman.

"I came here because I was worried about you. You need not listen to that wolf. You have been doing the best you can to gain your strength back… you are here for a precious reason, and that is to win your fire."

The Northern King fell into silence. And guilt spread through his body… for vehemently snapping at his chosen one.

She did not deserve his anger. He strode forward, "Kaoru, I-"

She brought her hand up, silencing him like a child. "Why did you step out of the walls, My Lord? When I specifically told you not to?"

The Northern King sighed as he fell beside her. "I didn't know it was you."

"Ah, that disappoints me." She said, and he turned to her. She was looking at him through a sidelong glance and a carefree grin. Frustration started to rise in him, brought about by the belief that she was not taking him seriously.

But then she shifted, and the smile turned wistful. "That disappoints me, because I would have known you, even with my eyes closed."

Lavender eyes bled absolute gold, "Princess,"

"I may never say this again, but ever since you saved me from that guillotine, you have become my strongest sentinel of hope. Through my darkest times in Qaf, in those soul-crushing moments of near-death, it was always you. More than my Malik, more than my Shishio. And to see you like this, it makes me feel emotions I have never felt before." Slowly, the princess reached out and took his hand. "Right here," She placed the flat of his hand on her chest, right above her beating heart. "There are confusing emotions that I start to feel, right here, when I am in your presence. I don't like it." She locked gazes, "It makes me feel… vulnerable."

Kenshin's eyes dilated. Unable to control his instincts he braced his hands on her shoulders and dragged her to him, crushing her body into his.

This time, she did not dissolve into a mist of red and blue. She stayed in his embrace, the Northern King's spirit hummed in delight.

"Refrain from touching me so intimately, Fire Drake." She frowned but did not pull away. "You are not my lover."

"Princess, are you not open to the thought?"

She then looked at him, "The Dragon Lord of the North, as this djinniya's lover?" she looked away, biting her lip, "I have never considered that." She paused, and she brought her electric blue gaze to the starry heavens. "My heart is already bound by so many unfulfilled wishes, too many responsibilities. To be enslaved by another chain… that is the last thing I would want to happen."

And she suddenly grinned, "Besides, nobody would want me as their lover. Once I love something, I become brutally possessive. Considering that I am already vain," She said with a lyrical lilt in her voice, her expression back to the playful, unreadable mask. "Insidious, deceptive _… cruel_ …" She ran her fingers on his jaw, and she stopped,

slowly outlining his lips that parted opened in anticipation.

All of a sudden, the Ameera glared at the Northern King, and she abruptly pulled away, depriving him of her close proximity. "I am a selfish lover," her smile was replaced by a suppressed snarl. "If I consider one, all of him has to be devoted to me.

All of him.

His past, present and future. I will have no other way."

"Then consider me." he answered, and his golden eyes darkened. "I can handle your passion. Remember that I am not human," he said, reaching out longingly for more bodily contact, "Although I walk and talk like one, my draconian blood has consumed whatever is left of my humanity, sixty years ago."

She raised an annoyed brow and stepped away. "Oh? Then you say I'm not the only one who is unique?" she jumped on the parapet, trying to steer him away from the subject. "You're not making me feel special, My Lord," She sighed, feigning exaggerated heartbreak, "I therefore reject you as my prospective lover."

The Northern King snarled, snaking his hands around her small waist, seizing her like a little doll. He dragged her possessively towards him. "When are you going to realize you're playing a dangerous game with me, djinnya?"

She suddenly laughed, the sound like crystal bells in the crisp evening. Kenshin restrained himself, his frustration rising yet again. She was playing, or not playing, what was it? Whatever it was, she was making it truly difficult.

He wanted her, all of her.

But powerful djinn families had existed far before Fire Drakes did, and whatever was influencing her behavior was rooted deep in her ancient blood.

He will never be able to completely capture her.

And it irked him to no end… this passive-aggressive cajolery, this endless teasing. The woman turned to him, and she smirked.

Gods, she was driving him crazy.

No other woman, he swore, no other woman could do this to him...

"Consider yourself lucky, at least you got to know me. Fate has smiled down upon you, destiny has brought you to me," She smiled as she spanned her hands before her, pulling away.

Kenshin held his breath.

Veils of silk and gold unfolded before his very eyes, "What have you done in this life and in the lives past to deserve such fortune, Fire Drake? There must be a reason why Fate has brought us together…

How truly magical and mysterious is the weave of eternity."

The Ameera softly stepped down before him, and threw the heavy veils over them, engulfing their forms with darkness. And he opened his eyes, the soft flicker of her two haulas illuminating her beautiful face. "Close your eyes and let the spell sink in," she whispered.

"What enchantment are you weaving?" he said,

"One of my strongest concealment spells." She answered with an excited smirk, "While we are under this, no one will suspect it is us,"

Kenshin looked around, and he almost laughed.

They were covered in blankets, of course, no one will know it was them unless they take the covers off. "These childish little games," he started, but he trailed off. Her eyes were closed, the soft light of her haula, and her lips pursed in concentration...

"Kaoru," he said.

He would have groveled. Down on his knees, desperate enough to offer anything just for her to consider. She seemed to be equally attracted to him… she already allowed him to touch her, come close to her in a way that she would never let anyone else do.

But something was holding her back.

And it suddenly hit him… a memory he had hidden in the deepest recesses of his soul.

 _**"Be my lover, Tomoe,"_

" _I don't want to be a part of your Harem."_

" _Then I shall make you my consort."**_

And he remembered the Ameera's words earlier, about wanting her lover to be completely hers… past, present, and future. Could she have come across the memory of the old retainer? It happened such a long time ago, he was so young and vulnerable at that time….

"Kaoru," he started, "My past lovers, they are –"

But she suddenly shot up, throwing the veils away from their forms. She took his hand and broke into a run, dragging him with her as she made a mad dash outside his room.

"Kaoru, w-wait,"

They skidded to a stop, almost bumping on two intimidating forms. It was Han'ya and Kamatari. Kenshin caught his breath, "Our apologies, we were-"

"What are you two doing here?" Kamatari glared, "Go back to your post! What if the Fariq sees you lounging about?"

Kenshin drew back, stunned. He turned to the Ameera, who was bowing down in profuse apology.

"Bathroom break, Lieutenant. When you got to go, you _got_ to go," she shot Kenshin a secret glance and winked. And the Northern King brought his gaze to the reflective surface on one of the pillars-

She had concealed themselves, making them look like middle-aged, lanky buck-toothed foot soldiers.

Han'ya stepped back. He waved a hand in dismissal, "We shall let this pass for now. Go back immediately to your posts. And if you ever see the Northern King, can you flag him down for us?."

"Understood," Kaoru answered, and she tugged the Northern King with her as they broke into another run. As fast as their legs can take them, Kenshin had noticed blue smoke slowly engulfing their person. From their feet to their hands, wrapping their forms like tendrils curling around their legs-

And he suddenly found themselves standing by the high elevation that overlooked the desert on one side, and the ocean of Sha'ra on the other. And Kenshin marveled at the beauty of the landscape, of the lull of the skies, and the magic that the woman never failed to weave on him. She still held his hand tight, concentrating on something, her eyes trained on the dry desert ocean.

The Ameera looked up, studying the star-riddled sky.

And the Northern King could only watch, bewitched by the woman who moved as carefree as the wind, yet was shouldering such great responsibility in her conscience. "What are we waiting for?"

"Not a what, but a _who_."

The Northern King smiled as he held her hand tighter. "Who are we waiting for?" He brought his chin up, feeling the warm eastern wind caress his face, "Sirocco?"

"No," she closed her eyes and smiled. "Although she's here, and she says hello... There is another good friend of ours… and he wants me to tell you he's been waiting to see you again."

Suddenly the warm wind settled, and in blew a cool breeze from a faraway place. Kenshin closed his eyes, realizing…

How could it have slipped his mind?

"He's here," Kaoru's eyes locked with the Northern King's, "Mistral."

A thousand emotions swelled inside the Fire Drake, as he could feel the familiar biting wind wrap him in a welcoming embrace. The many scents and sounds of his home, his ancestor's land, the origin of everything spiritual and organic in him-

And his future Queen's familiar energy wrapped around him, along with the fond greeting of the Northern wind. His feet were being lifted off the desert sand, and he felt lightweight. A cooler gust of wind hit his face.

He opened his eyes, holding on to the thick fur underneath him.

The Ameera had transformed herself into a giant Manticore. Her bat-like wings outstretched and flapping with the rush of the wind, a wild mane of blue fire that did not burn his skin, Kenshin held tight as he felt her powerful muscles sprung underneath her lion-body, running across a maelstrom of blue haula, dry desert dunes and the bite of the merciless winds of the North.

"Where are you taking me?"

"We need to coax your fire out as soon as possible," She answered cryptically, "Maybe this will do the trick."

And they fell silent, as they drifted through the ocean of sand and endless stars.


End file.
